A few days ago I was at Total Wine and picked up 2 bottles of whisky:
- Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky, 375ml ($18) - Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 50ml ($1)
My tasting notes:
Johnnie Walker Black Label: Smell in glass is of rubbing alcohol, nothing else. Flavor on sipping shows a touch of toasted oak, a little sweetness, a little malt. Adding a splash of water tames the alcohol and draws out a slight hint of peat. Overall impression: bland, undrinkable swill. My grade: F. Waaaaay over-priced at $18/375ml.
Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Smell in glass is an over-powering, heady bouquet of flowers and herbs. On sipping, luscious velvety texture and rich, strong odors of flowers, herbs, fruit, leather, soap, women's perfume, and other things I can't begin to identify. Intoxicating witch's brew. Startling and off-putting to someone like me who's idea of "whisky" is Macallan, Glen Morangie, or Laphroaig. But I like it. Overall impression: Strong, complex, rich, well-balanced. My grade: B. (And that's from a Bourbon-hater.) An amazing whiskey! And I only paid $1 for it (albeit a tiny bottle.) I wish I'd bought 18 bottles of this instead of spending that $18 on Johnnie Walker Black.
I hope Johnnie Walker Green is a WHOLE lot better than their Black (which, in my opinion, sux), else I may skip the Green and go for a single malt in a few weeks.