Johnnie Walker Green Label 180 Cask

This is a pretty unknown Walker. It saw a very limited production. Information about the 180 Cask is sparse, but here’s what I’ve gathered so far. Like the regular Green Label, this is 15 year old blended malt. It was released twice; once in 2009 and once in 2010. It was made only for Taiwan and the GTME (Global Travel and Middle East). It’s a blend of 180 of the master blender’s finest casks. I imagine this will be quite a collector’s item, if it isn’t already. I like the standard Green, so let’s see if this fancy little rarity fares as well.

Nose: Big butterscotch, brine, minerals, citrus, honey, heather, apples, barley, nuts, pancakes. Very gentle nose, with a pleasant sweetness.

Palate: Light bodied, with a much bigger arrival than expected. Peat, fennel, burnt toast, butterscotch, sea air, honey, charcoal, earth, and seared nuts.

Finish: A short finish, but the whisky becomes thicker and more mouth coating towards the finish. Basically a continuation of the palate, Butterscotch, heather, peat, earth, melon, sultanas, minerals, nutmeg, paprika, fennel, and pancakes drizzled with honey.

Thoughts: I like this neat, as it’s even lighter and smoother than the regular 15. In terms of similarities to the standard Green, we still have the heather notes and a clear Talisker influence. As for the differences, this has a lower abv. Also, it’s gentler and sweeter, and has stronger butterscotch and fennel notes. But unfortunately it isn’t as bodied as the regular 15, and the finish is rather uneventful. Still, it’s very drinkable and more characterful than most Johnnie Walkers, but I can’t say it’s an especially interesting whisky. A solid, inoffensive blended malt. I much prefer the standard Green.

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