The Malt Cask

After the Black and the Blue, here comes the Green. This is a whisky I have been meaning to try for a long time now at it is supposed to have a nice amount of peat and smoke due to the combination of four key single malts: Linkwwod (light Speyside), Cragganmore (richer Speyside), Talisker (smoky Skye) and Caol Ila (salty & peaty Islay). There is no grain whisky in the Green Label which makes it a Blended malt rather than an actual Blend. It was also aged for a minimum of 15 years.  I didn't actually think I would get to try the Johnnie Green as it was discontinued in 2012, but Diageo (owner of the Johnnie Walker brand) decided to relaunch it in 2016. And here I am today, with a bottle I picked up for £30 (on offer) of the new Green! However, I won't be able to compare it to the old bottle. The official launch statement mentions that the recipe has not changed but many a review mention the change of taste between old Green and new Green. As far as I am concerned, I ...

After the Black Label a couple of weeks ago, here is Johnnie Walker Blue Label. I know I am jumping a few stages in between, as the Johnnie Walker Black is a rather inexpensive bottle compared to the Blue which is the top of the range, rather dear bottle, but a friend of mine gave me a sample at the weekend and I thought I could review it today, whilst having my first ever sip of this prestigious and iconic premium blend.  The Blue Label does not have an age statement on the bottle and is crafted from "hand-selected casks of some of the rarest and most exceptional whiskies" according to the website. It is also bottled at 40%, which I find a little bit surprising considering the product itself and what it represents, a premium blend. I also presume it has been chill-filtered and coloured, probably for consistency across the different markets (US in particular). Now for the price... To get a bottle of 'Blue' you will probably have to part with the best part of about ...

Having been quite busy in the last couple of days, I have been looking for an easy-drinking dram to enjoy without having to spend hours nosing it or trying to pick all sorts of different flavours neat or with a few drops of water, so no Aberlour A'bunadh, Spice Tree or Caol Ila 19. I didn't want anything too peaty or too strong-flavoured. Bourbon, why not, but after a small Buffalo Trace I realised it was a bit too sweet for my mood, and that led me to my bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. When I say "led me", my bottle of Buffalo Trace is sitting just next to my bottle of Black Label, no other real link between both bottles otherwise. I bought the Black Label a few months ago now, and I probably enjoyed some kind of offer on it as you can pick up a bottle for just over £20 in the UK. I had never had Johnnie Walker before, again, it was a brand I associated more with mixing blend than anything else, until a few of my whisky-drinking friends told me the Black Lab...