Johnnie Walker Premier

You can hardly find the Johnnie Walker Premier in my neck of the woods. It was initially launched for the Asian market – in 1995, to commemorate 175 years of blending art. Johnnie Walker’s goal was – according to the blurb on the box – to create a blend that would be evocative of the 19th Century style of Scotch. It was composed with a selection of their oldest malt and grain. Sounds lovely, but what does it taste like?

I get a lot of sweet aromas, loads of spices, but also some sulpher on the nose. It takes a while to evaporate, but once it has, it makes room for dark fruit, a truckload of oranges, liquorice and fudge, but also maritime elements like oyster sap and seaweeds. Rich and smoky.

Quite creamy and sturdy upon arrival. It is both sweet and salty at the same time. Sweet as in citrus and dark fruit, salt as in peat and sea salt. It even turns a bit brackish towards the end, without going over the top, making it somewhat complex.

The finish is medium long and keeps a nice balance between sweet and salt. It dies a lovely bitter death.

Special, that is the least you can see of this blend. Does it reflect a 19th Century Scotch? How should I know? But it certainly is good.

Find where to buy Johnnie Walker whisky