Johnnie Walker High Rye

When this whisky hit the market I was immediately interested. I love rye. I'm a scotch fan. The two can work together. A high rye blended scotch made from barley and rye? Sounds like it has potential. Made for cocktails and delivered at 90 proof? Really sounds like it has potential. The reality rarely exceeds the fantasy. On the nose this isn't a particularly remarkable blended scotch. There's a bit of fruitiness and some spice, but nothing that would clue me into the "high rye" design of this mash. Tasted neat this is quite ordinary. There's a bit more spice and longer pepper finish than I'd normally expect from an inexpensive blended scotch. There's a good dose of the sweet, honey and apple main street found in the neighborhood of most malt whiskies. There's very little of the peat and smoke I'd hope to find. There's some there, but its not in a starring role. The rye is a player, but its also not a lead. There is some ginger, a bit of spearmint and a citrus shadow that turns a bit bitter on the finish. I'm a Johnnie Black fan, it's my "go to" for a mixer and a frequent guest in a Rob Roy. What interested me most about this Johnnie Walker release is that its created with cocktails in mind. In fact, one advertisement I keep seeing touts this whisky in a Manhattan (or is it really a Rob Roy?). So that is where I took it. Mixed 2:1 with a Cocchi di Torino vermouth, two shakes of Angostura bitters, a spritz of absinthe from an atomizer across the surface of the finished drink and a maraschino cherry garnish is my typical build. Johnnie Walker High Rye didn't fare as well as its 12 year old brother. Nor as well as Wild Turkey 101 rye. Nor as well as Dewar's Ancestor. Nor as well as... well, you get the picture. This isn't a bad whisky. For the $28.99 I paid at ABC (they're list is $36.99 but I asked them to match price with Total Wine) I have to compare this with other scotch whiskies. Dewar's White Label is less expensive and makes about as good a drink. It has a bit more ethanol, but its an old friend. It's also less present due to the lower proof. Johnnie Black is the same price and has a nice kick of peat that I really enjoy. It's better in a Rob Roy. Naked Malt is a bit more expensive, and its better in every way. Johnnie Walker High Rye isn't a bad whisky, it's a compromised one. It's a good idea executed in an uninspired way. My rating scale holds that most mass market product will follow a bell curve and hence end up around a 2.5 to 3 on the scale. Above 4 is the range of the exceptional. Below 2.0 lies the purgatory of forgettable mediocrity. This expression skates with the pack and not much more.

JW High Rye *NOSE: Malt, Vanilla, Rye Spice, Light Apple & Melon, with a Hint of Leather & Toasted Oak. There is also an undercurrent of Sour Musty Grain. For lack of a better descriptor, the smell of the inside of your new Tennis Shoe after the first wear. Weird, I know, but that's what came to mind. Luckily after 15 minutes or so, it fades and is replaced by Berries which combine with the Malt for a Berry Kix Cereal vibe. *NEAT: Sweet Vanilla, Leather, Malt, and Apple on the Front of the Palate. Black Pepper Spice, Rye Spice, Oak Spice, and the faintest Whisp of Smoke on the Backend. Smooth Finish with very little heat, but the Tingly Spice notes build and layer very nicely. *SPLASH: With a few drops of water the nose has little if any change. The palate benefits a great deal as it melds together the Sweet at the beginning and the Spicy end. Brings out Honeycomb and Fresh Berries. A hint of Sweet Peat finally make an appearance on the Finish. *VERDICT: I expected to like this, but didn't think I'd like it this much. I generally like JW outside of the basic Red Label (though, I've even come to appreciate it a little more than I did). Not as good as the Green 15 for me, but I preferred it to both Black and Double Black, especially after a few drops of water. This is so well blended with the Rye notes in great balance with the Fruit, Honey, and Malt. If I have a quibble, it's the $40 price tag, but I'm seeing some folks finding it for low to mid- $20's. For that, it's a steal. This is definitely going to be a fixture in my cabinet.

N: Caramel, vanilla frosting, dash of sea air and brine. Peach and pear fruitiness. Maybe a hint of peat. That distinctive Johnnie Walker note is here, but more subdued than any other JW I've tried. There's also certainly a grainy, cereal note that is not something I would expect from JW - has to be coming from the rye. Ethanol note is just slightly on the wrong side of too much. Longer it sits, more I think there's some rye mint and herb in it. P: Sweet with more of that cereal - like a sugary kid's breakfast cereal. Caramel, vanilla, and dried red fruit - which is nice here. Rounded at the edges with toffee and a bit of chocolate. Definitely some dried rye herbs, herbal tea, and a dash of mint on the palate. That JW chalky mineral water (cough*Cardhu*cough) is certainly here, but, again, subdued. Finish has some anise, dried cereal grain, more herbal tea, and a caramel/vanilla sweetness. This feels like it's trying to be a rye scotch, not a Scottish rye. It's not ideal as a sipper, but it's not terrible. It's unusual. And it's definitely a Johnnie Walker product. Price is right. I can't complain. Might do it again, but there are probably better sipper options out there. Still, if you like JW (and I do), then it's worth giving this bottle a shot. It's at least interesting. (I don't make cocktails at home, so hard to say how this would do with some mixers. Anything I could say to that would be a guess, so I'll not do that.)

N: light sweetness, honey, toasted cereal grains, malty, vanilla, touch of rye spices, orange peel, musty grain in the background, dusty leathery note, very light hint of peat, hint of woody oak barrel, definitely a JW backbone to it. T: sweet maltiness with vanilla on the front, honey, a little oiliness, grassy herbal notes, transitions to nice rye and barrel spices, peppery spices, decent wisp of ashy peat smoke, finish is medium in length. A few drops of water tamp down the smoky ashiness and lets some other characteristics come through a little, a little fruitiness, someone else (BDANNER) suggested fresh berries and I can see where they’re going with it, finish is a little weaker. Overall, I like this one. For the price, could stand to be slightly lower and it would be appropriate for the product you get.

During my latest whisk(e)y trip in USA, i stopped in a convenience store, and i found a rare pokemon i haven't seen before: a Johnnie Walker High Rye blended Scotch Whisky. Bottled at 45%abv, it describes itself as a "rich and rounded blend of whiskies crafted from rye, barley & wheat; married with the finest single malts". On the nose, i can only describe it as a peaty rye whisky. Salty, rice, vanilla salt water. Creamy. On the palate, it starts with red fruits, vanilla Salt, and sown land. Aftertaste is Peaty and salty. Actually it is a chocolote peat. Overall, i really liked this experiment. It wasn't overly expensive and it was pretty flavorful. The classic JW peatiness gives it a nice spin to the whole thing. My score for it is 88 over a 100.

Nose: Sweet honeyed malt and vanilla are front and center. Slightly beyond that the rye shines through with dry savory herbs and grapefruit. Hints of caramel, smoke, and mild barrel spices lie deeper within. Palate: The rye character is much more pronounced here. Peppery rye spice mingles with more herbs, honeyed malt, and a dollop of vanilla custard. Finish: Lingering smoky sweet malt makes a satisfying end. Summary: A unique, yet balanced and consistent blend. Makes a great bridge trying to get some Rye drinkers to appreciate Scotch a little more. Great price and the elevated proof is nice. It really makes me wish the other JW offerings were 90 Proof instead of 80.