Johnnie Walker High Rye

Nose is a bourbon/rye whiskey not much smoke (maybe covid). Definitely rye and more smoke on the taste with a surprising sweet swallow. Bit of a burn and spice on finish which is expected. Bit of water helps. Overall I am very happy with it. I am a bourbon guy first and like this taste of this scotch.

I like it better than I expected, pretty decent 🎅

JW High Rye *NOSE: Malt, Vanilla, Rye Spice, Light Apple & Melon, with a Hint of Leather & Toasted Oak. There is also an undercurrent of Sour Musty Grain. For lack of a better descriptor, the smell of the inside of your new Tennis Shoe after the first wear. Weird, I know, but that's what came to mind. Luckily after 15 minutes or so, it fades and is replaced by Berries which combine with the Malt for a Berry Kix Cereal vibe. *NEAT: Sweet Vanilla, Leather, Malt, and Apple on the Front of the Palate. Black Pepper Spice, Rye Spice, Oak Spice, and the faintest Whisp of Smoke on the Backend. Smooth Finish with very little heat, but the Tingly Spice notes build and layer very nicely. *SPLASH: With a few drops of water the nose has little if any change. The palate benefits a great deal as it melds together the Sweet at the beginning and the Spicy end. Brings out Honeycomb and Fresh Berries. A hint of Sweet Peat finally make an appearance on the Finish. *VERDICT: I expected to like this, but didn't think I'd like it this much. I generally like JW outside of the basic Red Label (though, I've even come to appreciate it a little more than I did). Not as good as the Green 15 for me, but I preferred it to both Black and Double Black, especially after a few drops of water. This is so well blended with the Rye notes in great balance with the Fruit, Honey, and Malt. If I have a quibble, it's the $40 price tag, but I'm seeing some folks finding it for low to mid- $20's. For that, it's a steal. This is definitely going to be a fixture in my cabinet.

It hits me on the nose with that typical caramel, vanilla and honey smell-very sweet on the nose. That follows through on the tongue with that typical blended Scotch sweetness with a touch of smoke or peat. The rye adds to that secondary flavor bringing some spice to the start and end of the drink. It reminds me a lot of another blended scotch, Famous Grouse. Outside of having a bit of that acetone smell and being very middle of the road there aren’t many true negatives. It’s a fine sipper that won’t wow you but fits in perfectly with the price range while adding something different to your usual lineup.

The nose has hints of vanilla and apple, definitely arriving from it's unusual mash bill more akin to bourbon than scotch. Yet the taste of spices, and fruit with a slight bit of smoke give it a unique taste. Overall, if you like bourbon, this is a scotch that deserves to be on your radar.