The River City Whisky Society reviews Johnnie Walker
"We tried the whole Johnnie Walker line, Red, Black, Green, Gold, and Blue…and you will be surpised at what we liked best……
I bought the 4-200ml pack at The Wine and Cheese Place for $94. This included Red, Black, Gold and Blue. Another member brought over a bottle of his Green to round things out. So, there were four of us and we went through the colors. We started low to high (red to blue). Here are our results:
Red: This is a blend of single malts and grains. This is the “lower” of all the expressions and you can tell. It tasted very young and is a little bland. Not that it isn’t good, it was still flavorful. Just not a lot and we just felt it was lacking something. We agreed that if you had to use a scotch as a mixer, this was it.
Black: A 12 year old blend that is spicey and rich in flavors. There is definitelypeat in this, but not overpowering. And it is smooth as well. It has a great finish, full and lingering. This is something that if a bar or restaurant is lacking in a selection, and this was offered, we would be comfortable drinking it. The price is right as well, so this is a good bottle to keep around.
Green: This is a vatted malt, meaning all single malts are used in the blending. It is also 15 years old. This is good. It is a blend of Coal Ila and Craggenmore and two others, and you can taste the peat and smoke, but it is not overpowering like an Islay malt. It definitely has a very peppery finish, but at the same time, has a sweetness to it. This is a very complex drink and very enjoyable as well.
Gold: This is an 18 year old blend and if I ever drank velvet, this is what it would be. A very smooth dram with loads of flavor; spice, creme, vanilla, fruit. It has a nice long finish, smooth and tasty, leaving you to want more.
Blue: The creme of the crop! Honey and carmel, spice and fruit, what more could you ask for. It has a toffee finish, with hints of creme and spices.
Our favorite? The Gold. We think for half the price of Blue, you get more bang for your buck. Let’s put it another way, when we sample the scotch, we use 1/2 oz pours, so that leaves a lot in the bottle. There were only four of us that night, so only 2 ounces were used. After trying all five, we also have Jon, Mark and Robbo (The Smooth One) and GlenDronich 15. Then we just drank either from my collection or whatever we had that night. I finished the 200 ml bottle of Gold, it was that good. Next paycheck, I will drop the $85 for the 750 ml of Gold.
I might also add, a reader gave the idea of having a “control” whisky so our palates would know the difference between each, and we used the Red for that. And you know what, the Red tasted worse after each of the others we tried. Thanks for the tip Scott."
-- River City Whisky Society
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