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Johnnie Walker The Spice Road

Pleasantly conventional...

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@hunggarReview by @hunggar

25th Mar 2014

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Johnnie Walker The Spice Road
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    83

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

The Johnnie Walker range tends to be a bit hit-and-miss, but I’ve always been a fan of their loyalty to quality in spite of (or because of) the fact that they’re such a huge brand. Some, of course, are better than others, but I’m always willing to give a new or different Walker a shot. This is a retail exclusive from the “Explorers’ Club Collection” named “The Spice Road,” which is referencing a historical trade route between Europe and Asia which introduced a series of exotic spices to the European market. Ok, sure. That sounds very historical and intrepid and distinguished. Now let’s taste this, shall we?

Nose: Toffee, sultanas, citrus, and gentle smoke, followed by nutmeg and cinnamon and some oak. This is very pleasant, albeit a bit expected.

Palate: Reasonably thick mouthfeel. Initially fruity, with sultanas and apricots and some gentle, sweet sherry notes. The flavours aren’t particularly crisp; rather they are blanketed by a big sweeping caramel note.

Finish: There are indeed some spices in here. Nutmeg is a big player, and there’s also a bit of cinnamon, chili, and allspice. There’s a sweet, gentle oakiness as well as some wisps of smoke and peat. Again, the caramel tends to blanket the other flavours and prevents them from really taking shape.

This is very smooth and drinkable with a very typical profile for a top-shelf blend. There’s sherry and peat and caramel as the usual suspects, and a seamless integration of grain. But I can’t help but feel this should have more… character. This isn’t particularly spicy, and the spices here are not exotic, nor do they characterize the whisky. Not only that; where I live this costs more than both the Green and the Swing (Superior), which are both vastly better whiskies in my opinion.

Ultimately this is a delicious and coherent blend, but it’s also a bit standard and forgettable. Furthermore, it can’t compete with its cheaper, better brothers from the same brand. But if you’re a fan of Walker or of easy-sippers in general, this will definitely do the trick.

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3 comments

@CanadianNinja
CanadianNinja commented

Perfect timing on this review my friend! I was debating picking this one up this weekend, but after reading this I would prefer to give it a spin at a bar if possible. Cheers!

10 years ago 0

@hunggar
hunggar commented

@CanadianNinja: glad the review proved useful! JW TSR is good, but pretty forgettable. I don't know if it's available in Japan, but if you can find the Swing it's cheaper and better. Also, the Gold label 18 yo stocks are getting thinner and thinner here. For roghly the same price, it's a much better Walker than TSR.

10 years ago 0

@CanadianNinja
CanadianNinja commented

@hunggar, yes it is certainly available here in Japan. Pretty well everything in the JW range can be found here... more or less. The Green Label is no longer going to be available here, as is the case in other markets, but other than that we seem to have the same expressions that you have in Taiwan. I find that quite interesting actually, why would they pull the GL from shelves in Japan but not in Taiwan? The mysteries of whisky distribution continue to puzzle me...

10 years ago 0