Bill-Shannon
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed
April 27, 2021 (edited November 14, 2021)
Honey colored, EXTREMELY leggy. The first nose is citric lemon drop with a dollop of honey. Some sugary syrup and vanilla. A touch of banana cream. There is a real barley husk with an extra herbal quality. There is a sourdough bread, yeast aspect in the back of the nasal cavity.
The first sip is lemon drop right in the front or the tongue, quickly washed over by a great deal of honey, molasses, caramel sugars and vanilla bean. It has a very viscous, oily feel. Some traces of smoke, but not a fetishistic amount; it comes off less like peat and more like charcoal ash. There is a pungent stewed apple at the tail end.
The remants of vanilla pipe tobacco. There is a little heat, but not from the smoke. It's a peppery, "chili catch" that is closer to jalapeño than to to peat. There is some old cellar wood and sandalwood. Andes mint chocolates and a menthol coolness. The smoke is residual, like a bonfire that's burned out.
This is fine Scotch, although it is undoubtedly overpriced. It's a little smoky, a little spicy, and a little sweet. Bold, disparate flavors that don't make a masterpiece, but make a dependable shelf piece that will impress a guest.
55.99
USD
per
Bottle
Syracuse Liquor
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
I suppose it depends on the type of value we’re talking about. I’m a sucker for age statements and this is stunningly low priced for 15 years. I also really like it as a gateway malt to single malts. It really has a lot of everything and combines speyside and island notes beautifully.
@Skymecca It's certainly not a rip-off, but based on my own tastes I don't think it's worth the extra $15 for something I may personally like better for $40. For example, I was drinking this simultaneously with Isle of Jura and The Singleton of Glendullan ($40 each) and to me each was either better or close enough, but that's just me!
@Skymecca whoops. I pay $60, not $70.
@Skymecca $45? That is a great price. Closer to $70 in a control state. Even at the $70, I keep a bottle on the shelf but don’t enjoy it often.
Great notes! Only question I have is why you think this is overpriced for a 15 year blended malt? Is there another 15 year priced anywhere close to as low as this? Its $45 around here (Bay Area).