Johnnie Walker Double Black

Johnnie Walker Swing

The story behind this blend is well-known, so here’s the two-sentence version for the sake of brevity and non-redundancy: The late Sir Alexander Walker II, grandson of John Walker, crafted the Swing blend in 1932 for the ostensible purpose of creating a “swinging” bottle that would be distinctive on ocean-liner bar shelves. It’s also the last...

Score 89/100

Johnnie Walker Swing

I have yet to understand why Swing is the overlooked bastard step-child of the Johnnie Walker range. It’s apparently not worthy of a colour-coded label, and has been reduced to being sold in a gimmicky swinging brandy bottle at travel retail outlets and specialty shops. So is it actually good, or does it deserve this cruel and unusual punishment?...

Score 85/100

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

In just a moment, I will have tasted all five of the core labels from Johnnie Walker: Red, Black, Green, Gold & Blue. I received this sample from Master of Malt, as part of their Drinks By The Dram program. I look forward to finally getting to taste this whisky, as it has heretofore been elusive to me (not wanting to spend nearly $200 on a...

Score 87/100

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

See my review of JW Gold for context. I purchased a JW set containing JW Red, Black, Gold, and Blue. Already a fan of JW Black, I was looking forward to sampling the other expressions. Nose: very simple - honey, wood, malt, and spice. Palate: initially, a luscious, silky mouth feel; sweet and spicy with honey, cinnamon, clove, and oak. Somewhat...

Score 75/100