John Walker & Sons King George V

My 200 whisky. As always, with every landmark, i want to try something special and famous. This time was the Johnnie Walker King George V. Only a sample (because the bottle is about 600 dollars, which i am glad i didn't pay)(nor i have them lol). A little history here, King George V was the King of England who gave Johnnie Walker the Royal Warrant in 1934. So, Diageo decided to make a blend from distilleries that existed while George V was King (1910-1936) including port Ellen that went silent in 1983 (but diageo plans to re-open it). Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. Ok lets decipher it.... wait, is this talisker? I expected a sweet dram, i got an island one. On the nose, everything is balanced: balanced peat, balanced vanilla powder, sea food notes (seaweed), pepper, caramel (toffee), old lemon and oranges. If this were given to me in a blind tasting i would definitively say "it is a talisker". This also apply on the palate. On the palate, very spicy and oaky, ginger finish. That was my first impression. The aftertaste is medium with ashes, balanced and smooth. Hints of oranges and toffee here and there. Smoke also appears, everything in small portions. Blended perfectly, but the profile is to well known on any island whisky. Toasted caramel also appear but in a very dim way. Overall it is an 88 over 100 (22 points on each variable: nose, palate, finish and balance) and i don't think i would buy a whole bottle for 600 dollars, when i can get any talisker that gives me the same notes for less than $120.

I bought a few samples with me on my holiday to Alaska. I saved this one for last. Having this while looking at the Denali range, sitting out on the front porch of our lodge. That environment certainly bumps this up 1/2 star. I’ve had quite a few JW’s, and by far my favorite was always the Ghost and Rare Brora. Followed by Green ( which is great VFM). I think this one has replaced the Green as my 2nd favorite JW. Unfortunately, a full bottle is quite pricey, maybe more so than even the Ghost Brora. Which is fine…I feel I can get 80% there simply by having the $60 Green. Light smokiness ( probably from the bit of Port Ellen?), orange cream, vanilla, fresh red apples. First word that comes to mind is elegant. There’s age and maturity, and all the elements seems to be well integrated together, not one malt vying over the other. Really well done. Would I buy a full bottle? Probably not…If I’m to spend this much, I’d much rather get the Ghost Brora, which had layers more of complexity.

The King George Edition Johnny Walker Blue label actually does taste different that your run of the mill blue bottle. The initial feeling, having tasted them side by side, is a lot more bright on arrival and smokiness on the middle palate. These are not my favourite drams by any chance, but they do taste quite a bit similar to each other. I still believe money should be best spent someplace else... Even in the Green Label neighborhood borhood if you are into JW's.

Nose: Closed off at first. After 5 minutes I get nutty sherry, malt, light spices, complex yet subtle with many other notes I cannot define. Palate: Silky, coating, malty, berries, sherry, biscuits, citrus, mixed nuts, vanilla, caramel, honey and barrel spices. Finish: Long, malty, cereal grains, sherry and spices. Near perfection in a bottle. I seriously think, if I could afford it, I could be content drinking only this the rest of my life.

An exquisitely well blended scotch. Nose resembles an older sherried single malt more than the typical JW smokiness. Palate is a delicious mix of dried fruit, sherry, chocolate, cinnamon and tobacco, with just a touch of peat smoke. The finish slowly, smoothly recedes. Whiskey enthusiasts love to slag on Johnnie for high prices and excessive marketing, but this speaks to what their master blenders can do when they're at their best.

This review is for Blue Label King George V. Definitely not your regular blue as it is very rich with notes of chocolate, caramel, citrus, red fruits, dried fruits, salt, peat, and smoke. However, after having this side by side with Hibiki 21, this is no Hibiki 21.