Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed
April 22, 2021 (edited October 21, 2021)
A blend of Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore and Caol Ila that’s at least 15 years old and $65... I would call bullshit but somehow JW makes it happen. Light golden color. Inviting, soft aroma. I feel like I should be under a pale blue sky on a crisp cool day, abundant sunshine sitting on a wooden dock and stroking the beard that I don’t have... pondering.
Sweet sherry, honey, malt, roasted apples and just a bit of wood and brine. Deep down there’s something slightly medicinal that’s gone in a flash. It’s gentle, almost calming.
Then the smoke! It’s like the above flavors show up and then a smokey fog rolls briskly across the tongue and settles over the orchard fruits atop a floor of wood, leather, peat, caramel and flowers. With subsequent sips the surprise of the smoke is gone and the brighter, honey-malt notes take center stage again with the counterparts plying supporting roles. There is almost a bit of lime, clove, juniper and ash as well.
Compared to Talisker 10 there seems to be less sherry influence and more malt. Sort of like a Highland Park 12 but... just more? The body is definitely thicker, heavier than HP12.
I feel like this bottle could sit dead center in my experience with Scottish malts. It has a soft, almost plush quality and showcases fruit, malt, peat, smoke, wood and maybe a wee bit of spice but only in the latter department is it lacking much. It’s not king of anything (ie. not single malt style) but does a bit of everything and does it very well.
I have one complaint and that is I would like to see this at 100 proof or more... but that’s being greedy. This has no heat, no burn... just comfort.
I’m between 4.25 and 4.5 on this one. It’s top notch, but is blending cheating? Is something lost in the ether? I don’t think so but I don’t know that I’ll reach for this over Talisker 10 or Ardbeg Corry if I’m looking for something bigger. Time will tell. For now I stroke my imaginary beard and contemplate.
65.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@PBMichiganWolverine From memory it was just a tad different but of equivalent quality. I gave the original bottling and the new one the same rating in my tasting journal.
@cascode i still have a bottle of that original. This new one is really good, wondering if the older is better or worse.
When JW Green first appeared it was one of the very few, if not only, core-range blended malts available, and with a 15 year age statement to boot. Long before Compass Box, this was a benchmark and an amazingly affordable one. I think it did change a bit after being discontinued and then revived but not to its detriment, it was just a shuffle sideways. Great review 👍
@dubz480 I need to track this down. My usual haunts don’t seem to have it but sounds spot on!
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington Spot on, on all three counts! Also, Very Olde St. Nick is a f**can joke! They pulled out all the stops...add a qualifier (“very”) - check, include the word “old” - check, nod/ode to nostalgia + purity (“St. Nick”) - check and finally throw in an extra letter for good measure to give the word “old” more oomph - check. This is marketing gone wild 😝
@Anthology @CKarmios for every “Old” out of Kentucky I suspect there is a “Glen” out of Scotland. But let us not forget Very Old Barton, aged 4-6 years and sold from the bottom shelf. For what it is worth I’d take it over Very Olde St. Nick...
@CKarmios there’s actually more in the bourbon world like old forester, old grand dad, old tub, old bardstown, old carter, and so on. I suspect it might have been a subliminal message/technique to convey age and make consumers think it’s older juice
@Anthology Got two words for you: Old Ballantruan
@CKarmios haha, not sure there was a thing with this thing but maybe I’m trying to make it a thing...to give us another thing to ponder 😉 We do know that consistency is not always guaranteed with rebranded bottlings. So maybe it should be a thing. Sadly this JW 15 doesn’t lend itself well to the thing because it doesn’t have “old” in the name like OP. Calling all drams with “old” in their names. We’re starting a thing!
@Anthology Didn’t think this was a thing with this thing...
@Anthology this is fresh off the shelf so for better or worse the new iteration - I could only afford black and red when the old green was around
@CKarmios would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit inspired by your review of Bunny 12 - good whiskey takes us places!
Incisive review! I hate to ask knowing that @CKarmios is on this thread but did you review the old(er) bottling or the rebranded version? @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Love the Green Label! Grab the Celebratory Release! That is another great blend!
This bottle should come with a warning that inhalation and/or ingestion of enclosed potation may cause temporary breakout of the poetic nature to its consumer