Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Triple Grain American Oak

A while back I found this bottle of Blenders’ Batch while browsing my local liquor store. I don’t know what compelled my to buy the bottle, but the price was right so I figured what’s the worst $30 can buy me? A little backstory on this bottling... this is called Triple grain because, you guessed it, it contains 3 grain whiskies. But not just whiskies from 3 grain distilleries, but three different types of grains. Barley, wheat and corn. Only one of the grain distilleries is mentioned by name and that is Port Dundas. The malt components are Cardhu and Mortlach. It’s 10 years old and matured in American oak. Bottled at an odd 41.3% ABV and is chill filtered and has colorant added making it a honey gold. On the nose the grain components are front and center with vanilla and a bit of typical young grain harshness. The Cardhu in the blend brings a strong honey note. Coconut, oak and perhaps a bit of sulfur like spent matches and a puff of smoke. Slightly waxy and maybe some of that Mortlach meatiness coming through. Some ginger, cocoa powder, more honey and vanilla. The palate has that young grain harshness, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting. Vanilla, oak, coconut and honey. Some fruitiness comes out in the form of apricots and pineapple, but it’s all masked by the young grain feel. The barest trace of wood smoke and charred oak. A light bodied mouthfeel that is watery and thin, slightly cream, dry. The finish is short with vanilla, oak, honey, dry. I was expecting very little from this bottle, and I wasn’t far off in my prediction. The grain wasn’t nearly as harsh as I had expected. Not much depth to it at all. Better than Red Label, but not by much. This reaffirms my belief that grain whiskies need much longer than malt to properly mature, at least 2 decades unless the casks are exceptional. Luckily, a nice peated malt can cover up this one with some ease. 2.75 Cheers Shameless plug time...if you haven’t already, please check out my YouTube channel Dapper Drams, featuring myself and @LeeEvolved. We review whiskies and have fun doing it! (It’s more about the fun than the whisky)

It’s time for another Johnnie Walker Blender’s Batch release: this #3 if you’re keeping track at home, and this one is the 10 year old Triple Grain American Oak. What 3 grains, you ask? It’s barley, wheat and corn. It’s also from 3 distilleries: (ghosted) Port Dundas, Cardhu and Mortlach. Sadly, it’s also chill filtered and has added color to keep everything as mundane as you’d expect from Mr. Walker. It’s bottled at 41.3% and bottles can be found for around $30. This sample was supplied to me by my buddy, @Generously_Paul. Thanks bro! Let’s analyze this new JW, shall we? Well, it’s a shiny gold in the Glencairn and it appears very watery with tons of skinny legs and heavy droplets left behind after a spin. All evidence of the low ABV. The nose is also relatively uneventful: vanilla and honey on the forefront with a little waxy, woody barrel note. There’s no ABV and a slight floral hint if you wait it out. The palate confirms everything on the nose but adds a lightly charred, wood backbone that actually comes off as a bit harsh and peppery. The rest is all honey and vanilla- again with no spice or heat. The mouth feel is light, short and ultimately thin. The entire experience feels watered down, almost boring. Overall, it’s a cheap blend and should be treated as such: make a few cocktails, splash it over some ice or chug it straight from the bottle- it won’t offend your tastebuds nor your wallet. I was hoping for more because some of the Blender’s Batch series have been rather interesting experiments, but this one certainly isn’t. 2.5 stars because it doesn’t push any boundaries and lacks any real focus. Moving on...

The American Oak and grain whisky give it a Bourbon-esque flavor, so if you want to make the jump from America to Scotland, give this a try. The color is a copper orange. On the nose, there is a hint of smoke and a big zesty, orange. There is a slight alcohol nip if you jump in too quickly, so give it some time to breathe. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find a bit of spice, vanilla, and toffee and the grain comes through pretty clearly. The taste also has that orange citrus note. There is a subtle smoky flavor, but it’s not a medicinal smoke, more like a driftwood fire than a peat bomb. There is a cane juice flavor as well, maybe even toffee. The mouthfeel is rich, oily and mouth coating, which highlights the flavors beautifully. The finish is long and smooth and a little dry, but a dry that has you reaching for another sip, not a glass of water. Overall, I’d say this is the whisky equivalent of enjoying some citrus fruits around a campfire on the beach. Give it a try.

Deceptively good! Gonna keep this one simple: N Sweet bread. Lemon citrus. Something faintly tart and mineral in the distance. P SWEET but not predominately so. You get some of the lighter notes of butterscotch and tropical sea salt before the faintest tiniest wisp of smoke closes. M The oak did amazing things. Has a richness in mouth I associate with pricey bourbon. The spirit has a very small hot and spicy element but it doesn't distract on the finish. Buy it! 85/100. Good hooch.

Skip this unless you plan to use it in cocktails. There isn’t really anything to this whisky. Literally, there is no mouthfeel to the point that it seemed like I was drinking water. The nose is decent with sweet fruits, spice and a touch of smoke. While the pallet is adds in some toffee, caramel and woody tanins. The finish is just like the mouth feel and near none existent.

Not much nose, soft hints. Taste is simple, smooth. The smokey end tastes great, but the other flavors smooths it out...it feels like there is strong smokey goodness being held back. Not bad, but was hoping for more.