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Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed
May 15, 2017 (edited February 27, 2023)
Nose: Rich, fruity, sherry-laden and nuanced. An oily and fruity aroma and some good oaky notes.
Palate: Honey, fruit, wafts of smoke, and an underpinning oiliness. Very balanced. You can genuinely taste the interplay of Talisker and Caol Ila that is the defining character of this whisky.
Finish: Medium long, the developed character fades away with no surprises.
A great and dependable blended malt that is a perfect example of what a blended malt should be - a stage to show off the best aspects of all the contributing malts, whilst simultaneously making a statement by melding those contributors into a whole that has its own character.
What a great dram. This is a shining star of the JW range. Black Label is the benchmark affordable blend, but here they really get down to business. Buy with confidence - it is realistically priced at a similar point to the lower-tier Compass Box range, and is just a little more than Monkey Shoulder & Naked Grouse. In Australia the recommended retail price is $85, but it's regularly available for around $65.
ADDENDUM - I continue to be impressed by the most recent expressions of Green Label. The recipe has changed in comparison to what it was a decade ago, but there is nothing at all wrong with the current style. If you are traveling and want to know a sure, safe and reliable bet for your duty-free allowance I couldn't think of anything to top it.
"Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)
85.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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Yes, I was well familiar with it before the discontinuation and subsequent re-release. It was different, but it’s too long ago now for me to say whether it was better. I like the current blend just as much - it certainly didn’t immediately seem like a disaster (unlike recent Lagavulin 16!)
Did you try the 'old' Green Label? I never did, but rumors have it that the modernized version (2016) is not as good as Green Label used to be back in the days.