Johnnie Walker Red Label

A little smoke flavor, but otherwise kind of bland.

Good for mixing drinks. Excellent for mixing with gingerbeer

Good staple to have around the house

Terrible whisky - should be outlaw for what they did to Kilmarnock

I have had a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label on my bar for a while. To be honest, when a whisky craving arises, I don't tend to reach for it.  My early nose is acidic with a faint mustiness and honey. With time, I smell butterscotch with a lingering ethanol nasal pinch that later fades to pale smoke. The palate feels like a coy 180° from an uneventful nose: some smoke, tanginess, vague pepper and minimal heat. I enjoy the mysteriously swerving peat wisps through a fading finish.  For a bottle that purists may deem as intolerable, it's rather smooth. It's better than I expected it to be. It certainly benefits from having time to breathe and I can imagine it being a helpful less expensive alternative for use in mixed drinks like a hot toddy. 6/10