Benji-Robert
Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed
January 13, 2021 (edited October 12, 2021)
Bought some off a clearance shelf for $20.99 .
Nose
Invitingly plain. Clean sheets, green apple, waaaaay hidden in the back is a sweet white pepper. Bland and dull overall. Doesnt 'pop', makes no fanfare. Compared to all other JW products at this MSRP, F+ or D-
Palate
Peated blend my ass. Maybe I got an off bottle, but this thing is just flat and characterless. Oh sure, the bottle supposedly says the heart is Caol Ila, the juicy orchard fruit notes taste pleasant (however weak), an initially interesting cinnamon (just cinnamon, not red hots or similar) note resounds in the finish. Cream and spice are shown off, but barely seem above a gimmick. D+, for the same MSRP black label or jane walker 10y trounce this
Mouth
Dont drink this one right away. Let her breathe a few minutes, and dont expect a shot to taste best right after pouring. The younger age is apparent but doesnt detract from a good balance of oily richness and cinnamon. C-
For the MSRP it's a hard pass, but on half off clearance it wasnt too bad. Will probably drink this whenever I want something cheap but with a nicer mouthfeel than most cheap. Curious to try a rusty nail or godfather with it, seems like a good candidate.
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@WhiskyWitch nice! he will love it I'm sure. this bottle has actually grown on me, but I'll be honest it's because I love godfathers and this one makes the hands-down best. small dash of disaronno, top the rest of the ice with as much of this as you like. for actually being reviewed or judged independently, my original score is accurate, but secretly I'm bumping it to a personal 3.75 and going to go stash a case while it's cheap.
once you let the bottle breathe a little this makes a killer godfather (3 pts Scotch+ 1pt amaretto)
Buying these (and the Song of Ice) on discount is the way to go, because you really need 4 of each so you can line them up(turn each 90 degrees) and you get the full scene of the dragon and dire wolf.
I just gifted a bottle of this to my uncle (closeout, of course). Ballantine's is like a treat for him, so I think it's fine.
@Benji-Robert Make your own! Some 100 proof vodka, lemon zest, & simple syrup are all it takes. Infuse the lemons into the vodka for about four or five days maybe a week depending on the proof, had simple syrup until it's as sweet as you want it to be and it will be a lot cheaper and better tasting than most of the things I've had out of a bottle that had a label on them. The trick is to peel the three or four lemons necessary to make a 375 very very thin so you don't get any white pith. I cut the lemons into quarters and then take a ceramic knife and slide it right along the yellow skin cutting away both the pith and the flesh. When it looks lemony yellow from both sides you've got it right!
@Cornmuse limoncello is the magic missing thing I need to play with this. thanks, I typically dont keep it so I wouldnt have thought.
A bar spoon of limoncello, a couple dashes of interesting bitters, maybe a half bar spoon of black tea syrup and you might end up with an interesting twist on a Lemon Highlander that makes the bottle go more quickly.
Use this to warm up your palate then go for something good