Johnnie Walker Red Label, bottled 1988
Nice Little Dram
2 178
Review by @markjedi1
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall78
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- Brand: Johnnie Walker
- Type: Scotch
- ABV: 40%
Johnnie Walker Red Label is – as everyone knows – a little entry level blend of little interest. I often joke that it’s just good enough to clean the windows with, but certainly not for making cocktail sauce… out of fear that the prawns might sue me. But older versions of this blend can be a pleasant surprise. Especially Red Label from the 1960s have often been quite good. This one, however, is from 1988. I was just of legal drinking age. I got the sample from my buddy Benny.
Well, to be honest, this nose starts pretty week. A big metallic note to start with (OBE?), but after a few moments and some air it comes alive. Honey and yellow fruit that serves up a nice sweetness. Think apricots and sultanas. A hint of apple cider and even some woodsmoke.
The mouth feel is ok. I was expecting a watery dram, but this is actually quite oily and spicy. Camphor, cardamom, nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon. There is clearly quite some sherry matured whisky in this bottle. Apricots, rum raisins and a couple of blackberries. Nice.
The finish is somewhat short and allows the metallic note to pop up again, but the terminus is warm.
Not as good as 1960s Red Label, but still better than today’s batches. Nice little dram. Thanks, Benny!
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Nice review. A few years ago my brother in law and I were both at our parents in law's home and we discovered a bottle of JW Red, likely bottled in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The seal was broken but it seems pretty full. We went to a liquor store and bought a small bottle of Red and did a head to head (blinded). The concensus was that the contemporary Red was undrinkable and the older bottling was not bad.