Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire

As a whisky enthusiast, i am eager to try all whiskies possible. From the very best ones to the the worst. That is the only way to really learn and know about whisky. Having said that, i bought this "Song Of Fire" bottle from the Johnnie Walker Game of Thrones expression, knowning that this could be a bad dram. I previously had most of the GOT single malts and some of them where good, and i had the white walker from Johnnie Walker which was horrible. So, when i first tried the sister bottle of this one, called "Song of Ice" i expected a bad dram, but it was actually nice (my score for that one was 76 and maybe it deserved a little more). So, i had this "song of fire" to end the ordeal of tasting this special expressions and.... it is a forgettable dram. Bottled at 40.8%abv, golden color. It is suppossed to have a base of caol ila for extra smokiness. On the nose: Cinnamon; Red apples with cinnamon. Apple pie and Pepper. A little Sulphuric. Nothing more. On the palate it is an oily dram. Again Red apples and Cinammon, some Pepper, Honey and Cough syrup. Very simple. Aftertaste tries to give you something different, but fails. Sulphur, Red apples, Pepper and a mild Smoke from burning grass. Incense. Overall this is a very boring, simple and not very enjoyable whisky. Maybe to be used in cocktails (which i don't usually drink) it might work. Don't buy this one, it is useless to drink it. My score for it is a very generous 63 over 100.

Bought some off a clearance shelf for $20.99 . Nose Invitingly plain. Clean sheets, green apple, waaaaay hidden in the back is a sweet white pepper. Bland and dull overall. Doesnt 'pop', makes no fanfare. Compared to all other JW products at this MSRP, F+ or D- Palate Peated blend my ass. Maybe I got an off bottle, but this thing is just flat and characterless. Oh sure, the bottle supposedly says the heart is Caol Ila, the juicy orchard fruit notes taste pleasant (however weak), an initially interesting cinnamon (just cinnamon, not red hots or similar) note resounds in the finish. Cream and spice are shown off, but barely seem above a gimmick. D+, for the same MSRP black label or jane walker 10y trounce this Mouth Dont drink this one right away. Let her breathe a few minutes, and dont expect a shot to taste best right after pouring. The younger age is apparent but doesnt detract from a good balance of oily richness and cinnamon. C- For the MSRP it's a hard pass, but on half off clearance it wasnt too bad. Will probably drink this whenever I want something cheap but with a nicer mouthfeel than most cheap. Curious to try a rusty nail or godfather with it, seems like a good candidate.

GOT, a great TV show; Johnnie Walker, a great whiskey brand. This is one of the many GOT branded whiskies out there and definitely on the lower price range of that spectrum. Nose: Chocolate, sherry, oak, peat, cherry, spices, and slight vanilla Palate: Peat, sherry, oak, sugar sweet, spices, vanilla, and hints of chocolate Finish: Peat, smokey, oak, dark fruits, slight vanilla, and slight spices This is a nice whisky for its price, which might be its best advantage. It does a little bit of everything, but is not great at anything. The finish is extremely short and light bodied, almost feels a little watered down. Definitely not a bad dram, but definitely not something I’d seek out for myself.

The nose of the blend is lead by the scent of baking spices, quickly followed by alcohol. It's possesses a light sweetness of cinnamon and toasted nuts, and ends in a peaty smoke. On the tongue, this blended scotch is a spicy and smoky affair. It leads with spice that slowly fades into a sweet smoke with hints of burnt caramel. It has an oily mouthfeel, and the spice returns in the swallow. Smoke returns in the finish and lingers in the mouth after swallowing. The scotch leaves a glow in the chest that is almost harsh. It feels a little burnt for sipping neat, but may be quite nice in a Rob Roy.

As mentioned in my other review I tried this back to back with the Song of Ice version. I tasted the Song of Ice first and I believe it affected my taste of this one. On the nose, this was very slightly fruity, with some vanilla and caramel. Tasting, the difference between this and the Song of Ice is immediately apparent. This one is much, much dryer and very oaky with some smoke and eventually the peat shows up. After tasting the Song of Ice I don’t really taste any fruit or floral notes at all in the Song Of Fire. I rather like the oaky/smoky/peaty-ness of this.

Picked this up as it was on sale at the local liquor store. For less than $20, I’ll try anything. Tasted an initial hit of smoke, heat, and spice. Mellowed very slightly to bring in a touch of sweetness and fruit, then drifted away and lingered with the smoke and spiciness. Added a few drops of water to the dram which turned down the smoke and spiciness, brought out more of the oak and peat, but still lingered with the hot pepper feel. More peasant with the water for sure.