Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish

Bottle

I'd like more smoke on it like other Johnnie's, it's very vanilla. That all being said, it's great for Sazeracs, Old fashioneds, and Manhattan/Rob Roy's.

Nose: Vanilla, toffee, fruits and spice - all enjoyable but a tad too generic. Palate: Vanilla, toffee,fruit and spice again. Finish: Short, but smooth and refined. This is very much a whisky cut from the same cloth as the cheaper Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish blend. That whisky has a strong bourbon/rye character, particularly on the palate, but although the story is essentially the same here everything is elevated to a higher level and the result is more subtle. The cheaper Blender's Batch Rye is more obviously bourbon/rye influenced, particularly in the palate, and is priced at a point where it is a valid alternative to many bourbon, rye and scotch blends that will primarily or exclusively be used as mixers. However this whisky is up against the likes of Compass Box blends, Johnnie Walker Double Black, Glen Grant 10 year old, etc. It's a tough market point and at that price there is not actually a lot to recommend it. For a few bucks more you can buy JW Green Label, and that's the real issue - who would buy it in preference to the alternatives? Nice enough stuff but overpriced as a mixer, and lacking the finesse of a whisky you'd want to drink neat. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Good rye finish. Unique flavor for scotch.