It is time for a blended whisky again, and this week I look at the Johnnie Walker Premier Rare old Scotch whisky. Johnnie Walker needs little introduction. I have various bottles of this brand in my collection, and the Johnnie Walker Black is one of my favourite easy-drinking whiskies.
The Johnnie Walker company started in the 19th century when John “Johnnie” Walker began selling whisky from his grocery shop in Ayrshire, Scotland.
His blends were popular at the time. It wasn’t until he died in 1857, when Alexander Walker with his son Alexander Walker II inherited the company, that the brand took off.
Johnnie Walker whisky was sold in the distinctive rectangular bottles for the first time during 1870. I can’t find very much information on the Johnnie Walker Premier Rare Old Scotch whisky. I have had this bottle for quite a long time, so the packaging is lost. It is probably one of the first bottles in my collection.
From the little available information, it seems that the Johnnie Walker Premier whisky was a blend aimed specifically at the Japanese Market. It is in a heavy rectangle-shaped bottle, very different from their standard square bottle. It seems like this blend has been discontinued.
According to the internet, Johnnie Walker Premier whisky is a blend from some very rare whiskies in the Johnnie Walker inventory. A portion of this is from closed distilleries.
My research suggests that this bottle includes rare and exclusive whisky from the most precious of Johnnie Walker’s vast stocks of long-aged malts. Some of which are from now-silent distilleries and can never be replaced.
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Johnnie Walker Premier Rare Old Scotch Whisky Review
ABV: 43%.
COLOUR: This blended whisky has a beautiful red copper colour. It is quite an oily whisky.
NOSE: Initially, there is almost a bourbon sweetness on the nose. On the addition of some water, dried fruits, raisins and caramels come through. There are hints of vanilla, ice cream, barley and oak. This Johnnie Walker whisky has a gratifying rich nose.
PALATE: It is a whisky with a pleasant big, bold taste and a wonderfully warming feel in the mouth. The tasting brings notes of rich oak and spice with some sherried sweetness on the palate. Some toffee, ginger and still lots of oak comes through.
FINISH: It has a big and rewarding finish. It ends in notes of spice with black pepper and ginger. The finish is long and lingering, with hints of oak and toffee at the end. It is a wonderfully complex whisky that offers a big mouthful. It has a lingering finish and is amazingly smooth.
RATING: EXCELLENT
It narrowly misses being a Divine. It just lacks the last little bit of the WOW factor. If you can still get your hand on a bottle, grab it! It is worth it. Bold and complex with a delicious finish.
Some of the other Johnnie Walker releases I have tried include the Johnnie Walker King George V, Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo as well as the Johnnie Walker Swing blended whisky.
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