Review by: The Muskox

This is one of Johnnie Walker’s seemingly endless special editions.

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Distillery: Brora, Blair Athol, Cambus, Carsebridge, Port Dundas, Lagavulin, Oban, and Teaninich.

Bottler: Diageo.

Region/Style: Blended scotch whisky.

ABV: 43.8%.

Age: No age statement.

Cask type: Undisclosed.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Colour added. Chill-filtered.

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Nose: Old and fragrant, but dominantly caramel sweetness. Juicy notes of orange, banana, kiwi, and pineapple. Milk chocolate and hazelnuts. There’s some sea salt and some earthiness, but you really have to squint to find any peat.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives with bright fruit, sea salt, and a twinge of peat. Plush and fragrant as the whisky develops. Lavender, citrus, even a little passionfruit. Mild old-oakiness and slightly stronger peat. Camphor and old books lurking underneath.

Finish: Fairly short. Very sweet – liquid marshmallow, milk chocolate, and caramel. More camphor, lavender, and salt. Lingering banana and honeysuckle. Maraschino cherries (the neon ones).

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Conclusion: I think it’s important to ignore the price and marketing when evaluating this whisky’s quality. When you do that, you realize that this is actually pretty good! It has much more presence and complexity than your standard Johnnie Walker. It still tastes mass-market with its sweetness, but underneath the blending wizardry, this is a serious old whisky. The fragrant and fruity flavours in here are real. Normal Blue Label should be take notes.

Final Score: 83.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.