Johnnie Walker High Rye

I had to try it, if they had peated it I think it would have been phenomenal.

When this whisky hit the market I was immediately interested. I love rye. I'm a scotch fan. The two can work together. A high rye blended scotch made from barley and rye? Sounds like it has potential. Made for cocktails and delivered at 90 proof? Really sounds like it has potential. The reality rarely exceeds the fantasy. On the nose this isn't a particularly remarkable blended scotch. There's a bit of fruitiness and some spice, but nothing that would clue me into the "high rye" design of this mash. Tasted neat this is quite ordinary. There's a bit more spice and longer pepper finish than I'd normally expect from an inexpensive blended scotch. There's a good dose of the sweet, honey and apple main street found in the neighborhood of most malt whiskies. There's very little of the peat and smoke I'd hope to find. There's some there, but its not in a starring role. The rye is a player, but its also not a lead. There is some ginger, a bit of spearmint and a citrus shadow that turns a bit bitter on the finish. I'm a Johnnie Black fan, it's my "go to" for a mixer and a frequent guest in a Rob Roy. What interested me most about this Johnnie Walker release is that its created with cocktails in mind. In fact, one advertisement I keep seeing touts this whisky in a Manhattan (or is it really a Rob Roy?). So that is where I took it. Mixed 2:1 with a Cocchi di Torino vermouth, two shakes of Angostura bitters, a spritz of absinthe from an atomizer across the surface of the finished drink and a maraschino cherry garnish is my typical build. Johnnie Walker High Rye didn't fare as well as its 12 year old brother. Nor as well as Wild Turkey 101 rye. Nor as well as Dewar's Ancestor. Nor as well as... well, you get the picture. This isn't a bad whisky. For the $28.99 I paid at ABC (they're list is $36.99 but I asked them to match price with Total Wine) I have to compare this with other scotch whiskies. Dewar's White Label is less expensive and makes about as good a drink. It has a bit more ethanol, but its an old friend. It's also less present due to the lower proof. Johnnie Black is the same price and has a nice kick of peat that I really enjoy. It's better in a Rob Roy. Naked Malt is a bit more expensive, and its better in every way. Johnnie Walker High Rye isn't a bad whisky, it's a compromised one. It's a good idea executed in an uninspired way. My rating scale holds that most mass market product will follow a bell curve and hence end up around a 2.5 to 3 on the scale. Above 4 is the range of the exceptional. Below 2.0 lies the purgatory of forgettable mediocrity. This expression skates with the pack and not much more.

Peaty with caramel on the nose and through the taste. Very smooth, bit of burn. Has the scotch pallet but not overly imposing and a nice alternative to bourbon.

N: light sweetness, honey, toasted cereal grains, malty, vanilla, touch of rye spices, orange peel, musty grain in the background, dusty leathery note, very light hint of peat, hint of woody oak barrel, definitely a JW backbone to it. T: sweet maltiness with vanilla on the front, honey, a little oiliness, grassy herbal notes, transitions to nice rye and barrel spices, peppery spices, decent wisp of ashy peat smoke, finish is medium in length. A few drops of water tamp down the smoky ashiness and lets some other characteristics come through a little, a little fruitiness, someone else (BDANNER) suggested fresh berries and I can see where they’re going with it, finish is a little weaker. Overall, I like this one. For the price, could stand to be slightly lower and it would be appropriate for the product you get.