Smooth as silk, pricey as gold
Written: Sep 16 '00 (Updated Dec 27 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Smooth, silky, spicy, strong
Cons: Expensive, Expensive, Expensive, don't tell the wife
The Bottom Line: Better than Gold, its blue.
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| dada21's Full Review: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blend of Rarest Scotch W... |
I am not a fan of Johnnie Walker products generally. I prefer single malt Scotches, my favorite Scotch being Oban. I like a complex flavor with a nice finish, a strong bouquet, and I don't mind paying more for the quality.
I had a taste of Johnnie Walker blue when I was a lot younger, and it did nothing for me. I hated Scotch, it was an "old man's drink." Then is started with some of the cheaper varieties and started getting warmed up to the idea of a good scotch after a long day of work, or to help kick-start a good evening of conversing or listening to music. Johnnie Walker Blue was out of my reach though, it can cost upwards of $50 for a small snifter in the bars of Chicago, and $180-$190 a bottle was 4 times more than I pay for my Oban.
Fortunately for me, people make mistakes. I'm not happy about it. I was out of town at a very ritzy country club, and I noticed they had a bottle of Blue that had been barely touched. I decided to give it a try, hey, I was already spending beyond my means just being at the club for the weekend, why not go a little further? The waitress took my order, and the _very_ young bartender poured my drink.
I received it in a very proper snifter glass, and the bouquet hit me from 5 feet away! It had a very spicy scent, and it brought back memories of some other top shelf scotches from my past. After taking in the scent-essence of this drink for a good 5 minutes [much to the chagrin and evil glares of my girlfriend!], I finally brought it up to my lips. The drink is definitely heaven scent, it is quite spicy but also incredibly smooth. This blended Scotch was much easier on the palate that I expected, and it went down smooth and easy, with no dark lingering aftertaste to spoil the event. I finished the drink slowly, allowing myself to catch a sniff here and there of its strong (yet light?) aroma. I would love to know what single malts are blended here and try it someday myself!
Then comes the mistake. Knowing that I probably just dumped $75 on a glass of liquor, I asked for my bill right away, and the bill came to $12. Seeing as though I'm not a thief (and part of that $12 was my girlfriend's drink!) I notified the waitress right away, and told her she undercharged me significantly for the drink. She returned to the bartender, who looked it over, gave me a nod, and reprinted a receipt. She thanked me for catching her error, and I took the new bill, looked it over, and told her $18 was still too cheap (I believe they were charging me for Johnnie Walker Gold now). The bartender looked over again, and said the bill was correct, and the waitress told me to not worry about it and accept what I felt was an incredible bargain. I asked her if they were selling it so cheap if she would mind getting me another glass or two, which she did, and I ruined the evening by imbibing way too much of this silky, oaky, spicy, salty blended Scotch.
While my memory of the Scotch is a strong one, and my recollection of the evening is pretty strong, one thing that keeps the memory in my mind is the bottle of Blue that is sitting in my liquor cabinet. I did not hesitate to drop $180 on a bottle for my shelf, and I know every so often I will revisit the fond memories of that weekend with a Scotch that is truly second to none. While I find my Oban is easier for me to drink because I'm not so careful with it, it doesn't compare to the blends and fragrance and smooth silky finish of Johnnie Walker Blue. It's amazing that I dislike the Red, Black, and Gold label blends so much.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dada21
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Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 0 members
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