Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year

Color: Gold. Nose: Malt, salt, peat (subtle), citrus, brine. Taste: Malt, smoke. There was a honey sweetness and fruitiness that together were reminiscent of a caramel apple without being too sweet like candy. Finish: More than expected from a low ABV blend. Short, a pleasant burn. A malty linger with some brine.

I bought this bottle back in January. My initial review on Barreled was from my first glass out of the bottle and was somewhat less than generous. I should have known then and certainly know now never to review a whisky on the first glass. This review is a composite of my notes from getting to know this bottle over the last six months. JW Green is a blend of four single malts: Talker, Linkwood, Cragganmore, and Caol Ila. It’s bottled at 43% ABV and is a bright gold in the glass. It carries a 15 year age statement. Initially the nose was underwhelming: malted barley, honey, and barely there smoke. Over time however this has changed considerably. The smoke became more prominent as well as the appearance of a darker malty note and black tea. Really quite nice. In the mouth there is a rich, oily/buttery mouthfeel that gives up notes of sweet, malty honey along with a moderate amount of smoke. The finish is where this whisky really shines in my opinion. Rich, meaty smoke, peppery leather and tobacco hang on for a considerable time. This is one of the few whiskies that I’ve found really benefits from a bit of water. A quarter of a teaspoon to approximately two ounces in a Glencairn does amazing things to this dram. Most of these notes/impressions are from this formulation. Overall this is an excellent blend, perhaps the more so because it is a blended malt as opposed to a blended whisky, there being no grain whisky in this blend. At $65 this is a decent value as well, just don’t judge it based on the first glass out of the bottle. Slainte!