Johnny Walker anyone?

Love bourbon but still enjoy an occasional foreign whisky pour as well? Discuss some of your favorites here.

Moderator: Squire

Johnny Walker anyone?

Unread postby Mike » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:30 pm

I was adrinking with some buddies not long ago. As it happened, I was drinking ORVW 15 YO and was, as usual, blowing off about how good it is. One of the other guys offers me a taste of JW Black label. Now, being the spirit sophisticate I fancy myself, I thought that ain't good enough for me, give me a single malt.

Still, having been humbled by taste tests before, I says, 'Okay, lemme have a sip of that Johnny Walker'.

Well, blow me down, that was a very nice scotch. So me and Johnny and Old Rip did a little business together for a while and all profited by the association. Fortunately, I did not overindulge and didn't have pay in pain the next day.

Now, to the real story. A while after that, I was in my favorite liquor store and they trot out this Johnny Walker 'sampler' package. It contains the Red, Black, Green, and yes, the BLUE lable scotchs in 200 ml bottles. The cost is about $65. A little quick figgerin in the pea brain revealed that this was 'worth' a couple of hundred smackers. Well, being one who is easily lead, I succumb to the pitch and buy this 'steal'.

I calls up my best drinking buddy and says we gone have a JW blind taste off. We set the deal up and he correctly identfies the JW ranking of Blue as the top and Red as the Bottom, only switching the Black and the Green. Me? Well, I ranked the Black at the top, next the Green, then the Blue, and last the Red. We both seemed to be able to tell that the Red was the cheapest.

I was so damn sure that the one I picked as the top was the very expensive Blue label, that I was just asmiling inside, waiting for the opportunity to show my buddy up.

Warn't to be. He showed me up and then he commences to tell me how he could pick out the Blue Label. Well, the bastard had it on me. All I could do was mutter, 'Well, you know that Black Label is some damn good stuff!' 'Naw,' he says, 'too sweet!' I coulda kicked his behind, except that he is my friend and as fine a person as it has ever been my pleasure to know and be around. So I had to stiffle myself and give him the Johnny Walker Blue Label.

Post script. He took the JW scotchs with him when he went to visit his brother (who is a great and sophisticated bourbon drinker) and his brother also picked the Black Label first. So I had a wee bit of satifaction.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
Mike
Registered User
 
Posts: 2231
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:36 pm
Location: Savannah, GA

Unread postby Blue » Fri Aug 05, 2005 4:38 pm

Hey, nothing at all wrong with blends. When I stray into the scotch world I tend to go for JW. I like the gold best of all, followed by the blue (which I think is way over rated), and then by the green. Can't really stand the red or black.

Can make for a nice change of pace from american style whiskies.
Blue
Epi-curious
 
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:15 pm
Location: Wayne, PA

Unread postby Mike » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:42 pm

Damn, you know I forgot the Gold! That was in the sampling too. I can't recollect where we put it. Somewhere in the middle.

Like in my bourbons, I like a wee bit of sweetness in my scotch. Maybe that is why I happen to like cognac a lot too. It is the sweetest of the great spirits.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
Mike
Registered User
 
Posts: 2231
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:36 pm
Location: Savannah, GA

Unread postby Dave » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:52 pm

I purchased a bottle of the new "Green" this winter after a whisk(e)y tasting event. You may or may not know that they have completely rebuilt the blend from bottom up. I prefer the Islays and Speysides myself and thought the green did a very good job of capturing the essence of Islay without the overpowering flavour that turns some people off. It's a welcome addition to the world of whisk(e)y
Dave
 


Return to Scotch Whisky

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests