Joe_C
Johnnie Walker Island Green
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed
March 19, 2017 (edited November 21, 2021)
Woe is me... I purchased this 1 L bottle at a duty-free shop thinking "what could possibly go wrong with a Johnnie Walker that is a green label with a kick?". Turns out plenty! It's a fine enough whisky if you approach it with the mindset that it is barely anything like the core Green expression. It has no age statement, which is indication of the sort of tweaking that took place here, and ultimately it's just a dram that tastes of smoke and peat without much else. Gone is the complexity, gone is the depth, and gone is the pleasure that comes from enjoying a Green Label. It's a shame, and now I'm stuck with 970 mL!
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LOL! I think my problem was EXPECTATION. I am a REALLY big fan of the Green Label - in fact I don't think anyone has a serious collection without owning one. So I assumed I was going to have my green label with the extra smoke and peat. Really not! Here's the thing though: I'm stuck with a full bottle now so I'm going to have to drink this thing three dozen more times, which means it's possible my opinion mellows out over time and I reappraise this whisky favorably.
I had this at Frankfurt airport, and I remember really liking it. But---then again, it was after a 3 hour delay in Newark, followed by a 7 hour flight...so, at that point, vinegar would've been tasty as well
Oh, I know this situation very well. Initially, you think 'that's a bargain, a full 1 L bottle!' but after your first dram, you suddenly realize that it will take a loooong time to get rid of this bottle...