Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Tag: Diageo Page 10 of 15

Diageo plc is a British multinational beverage alcohol company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates in more than 180 countries and produces in more than 140 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of spirits and the world’s largest producer of Scotch whisky.
Brands include:
Scotch whisky: Johnnie Walker, Cardhu, Justerini & Brooks, Bell’s, Black & White, White Horse, Caol Ila, Vat 69, Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore, Clynelish, Singleton, Dimple, Glen Elgin, Knockando, Blair Athol, Dailuaine, Glenlossie, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Strathmill, Teaninich.
American whiskey: Bulleit, Seagram’s
Canadian whisky: Crown Royal
Vodka: Smirnoff, Cîroc, Ketel One
Rum: Captain Morgan,
Gin: Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Gilbey’s, Aviation Gin

Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR Whisky

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On 02/18/2019

In Whisky Comparison

Johnnie Walker blue Label vs XR blended whisky side by side comparison

Welcome to the next instalment of my whisky comparison series. I look closer at two exceptional releases from Johnnie Walker: the renowned Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR blended Scotch whisky.

These premium blends are part of the illustrious Diageo stable, but what sets them apart? In this article, we’ll delve into the nuances of these exceptional whiskies to help you make an informed choice.

The journey of Johnnie Walker, from its humble beginnings in a grocery store to its status as a global brand, is a tale well-documented. While Red and Black Label are widely available in bars around the world, the pinnacle of the Johnnie Walker range is the Blue Label.

Surprisingly, it’s not the most expensive in their lineup. For instance, the Johnnie Walker King George V is nearly three times the price of the Blue Label, and the John Walker Private Edition collection can retail for over R7,000.

However, in South Africa and many other places, the Blue Label is the whisky that epitomizes success and accomplishment.

The Johnnie Walker Blue Label is often considered the whisky of choice when one has “made it” in life. The 21 year old XR release is only R600 more expensive. The Johnnie Walker XR Scotch whisky features a more exquisite bottle and boasts an age statement.

Now, the question arises: Which whisky is the better tasting?

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whisky

Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR
The premium Johnnie Walker Blue Label blended Scotch whisky is crafted from a blend of old grain and malt whiskies, meticulously curated by Master Distiller Jim Beveridge to echo the style of 19th-century whiskies.

While the Blue Label lacks an age statement, each bottle boasts a unique serial number.




Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old Whisky

Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR
Honoring Sir Alexander Walker’s Knighthood, the Johnnie Walker XR whisky is a special edition release. This 21 year old blended Scotch whisky draws inspiration from the handwritten blending notes of Sir Alexander Walker himself.

Featuring whisky from the extensive Johnnie Walker stocks, the XR 21 year old is rumoured to include whisky from the now-silent Brora distillery. One remarkable feature of this whisky is its impressive bottle design, complete with a substantial stopper, making it a keepsake even when the last drop is poured.

Also Read:  Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel vs Woodford Reserve

Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR 21 year old Whisky

Johnny walker Blue Label vs XR comparison

Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Johnnie Walker XR
TypeBlended whiskyBlended Whisky
ABV
43%40%
Colour
Light golden amberDark gold with red tinges
NoseComplex with many layers. Peat, smoke with oak and malt. Christmas cake, spice and dried fruit. Adding some water unlocked fresh flowers and florals.
Rich and smooth with sweetness, sherry, ripening summer fruit and flowers Adding water softens the nose and releases more smoky wood and spice.
PalateBold with peat and old wood. Water smooths it toward a more floral, sweeter bouquet with notes of oak and toffee.  Notes of ripe cherries, sherry, cinnamon, maple syrup, fruits and oak. Subtle and elegant  Water tones down the boldness and takes away the complexity and richness.
FinishMedium length with notes of pepper and nutmeg, caramels and oak.Medium length. Notes of raisins and cinnamon spice. 
My RatingExcellentExcellent
CommentsNon age statement. Easy drinking without loosing complexity. Age statement: 21 yo. More elegant and subtle with red fruits balanced with cinnamon.
You will like it if you are looking for…Something smooth with Islay / Island notes. A bold winter whisky. Summer whisky with a more Speyside / Highland caracter. Something sweeter and elegant with a richer finish.
Price $250Discontinued
Pairs well withRoast Beef or tiramisu or a light blue cheese.Oysters, scallops or duck

Comparing these two exceptional whiskies side by side highlights their differences. The smoky and peaty notes are subtle when sipping the Blue Label on its own. However, the peat and smoke emerge more boldly when enjoyed alongside a sweeter whisky.

The Blue LabelScotch  is bold with oak, toffee and floral notes, bits of dried fruit and Christmas spices. The XR brings red fruits, sherry and maple syrup with light oak and cinnamon. It is less bold than the Blue Label but more elegant and complex.

Both are excellent whiskies in their own right, but whether they justify their price tags or stand out in a blind taste test against other premium blends is a separate discussion, perhaps one for our whisky club friends to explore in the future.

For me and John, the Johnnie Walker XR whisky stands out as more elegant and refined when compared to the Blue Label. Its unique bottle design and substantial stopper add to its allure, making it a bottle worth preserving long after its contents have been enjoyed.

In the battle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label vs XR whisky, the choice ultimately comes down to personal preference. Whether you opt for the iconic Blue Label or the elegant XR 21 year old Scotch, you will surely experience the craftsmanship and legacy of one of the world’s most renowned whisky brands.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Green vs Blue Label Whisky

Johnniue Walker Blue Label or XR. Which one is your favourite?

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Whisky of the Year 2018

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On 12/31/2018

In Lifestyle

Bottles of whisky on the shelf to celebrate the whisky of the year for 2018 During the year, I am fortunate to taste many new whiskies. Some are not bad, and some I never want to taste again. Just search for “Ordinary” on this blog, and you will find quite a few examples of these. However, now and again, I taste something that blows my mind.

Something so delicious that I want to go out and buy many more bottles.Sometimes these Divine drams are limited releases, and when my bottle is finished, there will be no more. But sometimes they are standard releases that are readily available.

And this has been such a year. I have tasted 4 whiskies that we rated Divine. And each of these is readily available. They are not mindbogglingly expensive; they are quite affordable actually. But they were stand out drams that I loved.

And as always, at the end of each year, we gathered a few friends and blind taste-tested the year’s Divine whiskies to choose the Whisky of the Year 2018. The friends who helped was Roelia from Boozy Foodie and her hubby Jan from Social Savage.

The process is similar every year, a blind taste test and then every person individually ranked the glasses from 1 to 4. This gives us our Whisky of the Year. Here are the 4 whiskies in alphabetic order.

Best Single Malt: Ardbeg An Oa Whisky

Ardbeg An Oa single malt whisky headerIt was with great fanfare that Ardbeg launched an extension to their core range – Ardbeg An Oa. The first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg core range since Corryvreckan in 2009. I have been less impressed lately by the Ardbeg Day releases, so I was rather sceptical about this new release.

Was this just another premium-priced release that does not live up to the hype? Oh Hell No. This Islay dram was just perfect. It warms you up with the traditional peat and smoke, but it is elegant and smooth. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky is not the salty, TCP and strong tar pole notes of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but a softer, more classic version of it.

Notes of peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. Bits of toasted nuts and pine needles mixed with vanilla, lemon pepper and chocolate. It’s a fascinating and glorious mix of aromas and tastes. It’s complex, subtle and different all at once. It has a finish that is a mile long and lingers around you like a favourite old jersey.

Best Bourbon: Blanton’s Gold Edition

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon whiskey header Blanton’s bourbon whiskey was launched in 1984 as a Single Barrel Bourbon. It is part of the Sazerac Company and distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. What makes the Blanton’s bottle unique is the eight different stopper designs.

The stoppers feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey in eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate to crossing the finish line with a win. I was wondering if this will be the only stopper in my collection, but after tasting this delicious bourbon, I am going to be looking for more bottles.

The Blanton’s Gold has notes of oak, warming rye, condensed milk, hints of sun-dried oranges and vanilla. It is rich and creamy bursting with a complex mix of tastes. There are notes of toasted oak, fudge, cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, Sichuan pepper with faint hints of cherries. And with an impressive ABV! A beautiful finish that leaves you with fudge, cinnamon, pepper and hints of orange peel.

Best Blend: Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 yo blended whisky header Affordable, available all around the world and an icon! Johnnie Walker Black Label is a blend of about 40 whiskies from all around Scotland. Smoother and more drinkable than its little brother the Johnnie Walker Red, the Black Label has reached cult status. And I can understand why.

It offers a consistent, delicious experience which I keep on going back to. The Johnnie Walker Black label Scotch whisky has notes of smoke, red berries, fruit, citrus flowers, oak and malt. A toffee sweetness with hints of spice. You don’t even need to add water, but water releases a bit more sweetness.

This Black Label is an all-together impressive dram. I always have a bottle of this in the house, and I love this (FAR) more than the more expensive Johnnie Walker releases I have tried.

Best World Whisky: Paul John Classic Cask Select

Paul John Classic Select Cask Whisky header Paul John is a brand of Indian single malt whisky and single cask whisky, manufactured by  John Distilleries in Goa.  John Distilleries was founded by Mr Paul P. John in 1992, when they began producing several spirits, including Indian molasses-based ‘whisky’.

In 2008, John Distilleries attempted a single malt whisky, and the rest is history. Paul John Single Malt was launched in 2012 in the UK, and there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the golden liquid from this Indian distillery. And I am so glad that it is readily available in South Africa too.

The Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength. Again it comes at an impressive 55.2% ABV. The Paul John Classic Select Cask has notes of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, barley, faint hints of vanilla and candied fruits.

Hints of toffee, oak with warming cinnamon and soft pepper nicely balanced with honey sweetness. It has a delicious finish rich with oak, cinnamon and fruit. This year, the winning whisky and the runner up was only 1 point apart. But in the end, there can only be 1 winner.<

And the winner of the Whisky of the Year 2018 is…

Whisky of the year 2018 - Ardbeg An Oa I have to mention the runner up – it was the Paul John Classic Cask select. A delicious dram. From a distillery that I will be exploring more of! Well, that it is for 2018. Thank you for all your support this year. Wishing you many wonderful glasses of whisky in 2019. Early next year I will start again. But now it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy a glass of An Oa.

Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old Whisky

By

On 12/26/2018

In Blended whisky

Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo Blended Whisky header
I can’t even remember where we got this bottle Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old blended Scotch whisky. It has been in my cupboard for ages. I think John picked it up in Dubai when he was travelling to India. It is such a beautiful bottle. The rectangle shape with the gold embossing and the XR raised in the glass.

Different than the regular square-shaped bottle A perfect bottle to use as a decanter when it is empty.  John “Johnnie” Walker began selling whisky from his grocery shop in Ayrshire, Scotland.

After he died in 1857, Alexander Walker inherited the company. Alexander, with his son Alexander Walker II, began marketing Walker’s Old Highland. They introduced the now-iconic square bottle in 1860. This meant more bottles fitting the same space and fewer broken bottles.

Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo blended whisky from the top
In 1920, Alexander Walker II received a knighthood from King George V for his services to the nation. The Johnnie Walker XR whisky was created in honour of Sir Alexander Walker’s Knighthood. A special edition release, this Johnnie Walker XR whisky is a 21 year old expression, inspired by the handwritten blending notes of Sir Alexander Walker.

Sourced from the private reserves of the Master Blender, it includes casks from silent distilleries that are no longer in production. Diageo owns the Johnnie Walker brand. The bottle retails for around R 3 000, which is slightly more expensive than the Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky (R 2 200), but a lot cheaper than the King George V. The big questions is: Is it worth the price?

Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old Whisky Review

Review and tasting notes Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo blended whisky with glass
ABV:  40% ABV

COLOUR: Golden red tinges of polished copper fill the glass.  Long oily fingers form.

NOSE:  Sweet with honey, ripening summer fruit and flowers with highlights of vanilla.  Hints of citrus peel, cinnamon and apples float around. Without water, the Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old nose promises a full-bodied, rich, smooth experience.  Adding water softens the nose and releases more wood and spice notes.

PALATE: Rich and smooth. There are notes of cinnamon spice, maple syrup and oak. The Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo whisky intertwines citrus peel with cereal notes overlaying notes of ripe fruit and vanilla. Without water, it is delicious. Adding water softens the boldness of the whisky and brings more winter spice.  But it takes away the complexity and richness.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of fruit and cinnamon spice. Water reduces the length of the finish.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Don’t add water! The big question, however, was the Johnnie Walker 21 year old XR Scotch worth the price tag? It is a great whisky and a beautiful bottle, but I have tasted quite a few blended whiskies that are better and cheaper.

If anything, it is a unique bottle to have in my collection, and if you gift me a bottle, I would not complain. However, when this bottle is empty, would I buy it again?  Probably not.

I have done a comparison between the Johnnie Walker Blue Label and the Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old to see if how they differ.  You can read all about it in my Blue Label vs XR comparison post.

Related Article: Chivas Royal Salute 21 year old whisky



Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old Whisky

By

On 11/05/2018

In Blended whisky

Review and tasting notes Johnnie Walker Gold Label Centenary Blend whisky header
In my collection, there are  a few open bottles that I have not written about yet. One  of them is nearly empty – the Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old blended Scotch whisky. This release has been  discontinued and replaced with something else,  so I better capture the tasting notes quickly, while I still have something left to drink.

The Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old whisky was created in 1920 by Sir Alexander Walker to commemorate the Johnnie Walker Company’s 100 years in business dating back to 1820. Although it was discontinued during the war due to a shortage of blending stocks, the label was reintroduced in 1992.

They based the blend on the original blending notes left by Sir Alexander seventy-five years earlier. It’s a blend of 15 different whiskies including some Talisker  (the general character); Clynish (for the brine and seaside ambience);  Royal Lochnagar (for the luxurious palate) and Cardhu (for the finish).

All the whiskies are a minimum of 18 years old. Looking at my bottle and the packaging, it is probably the second generation release that was available from 2009 until 2013.

Also Read: Benriach The Smoky Twelve Whisky

This Gold Label Centenary Blend then was replaced by two releases: The Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 year old whisky and the Gold Label Reserve Scotch (NAS). The only place where I still see the Centenary Blend is on the big whisky auctions.  At a somewhat crazy price.

Jim Murray awarded this Gold Label blend 96 points in his Whisky Bible, which is not too bad.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old Whisky Review

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Centenary Blend with glass
ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Bright  gold

NOSE: Malt and barley with hints of smoke, oaky spices and sun-dried grass, rich and complex with a  fruity sweetness. Every time you smell it, it brings different notes. Apples and cinnamon hints balanced with fresh flowers. Inviting and delicious.

PALATE: Honey and apricot jam, hints of malt and cream,  cream, toasted oak spices with smoky hints. Rich and complex but very drinkable. Elegant with bits of cinnamon and dried fruit,  with a splendid balance between sweet and spice. Adding water makes this even more drinkable. The Johnnie Walker Gold Label is one of my favourites from the brand.

FINISH: Long and lingering with notes of honey and green grass

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a delicious dram. I just love the rich, fruity notes balanced with the smoky hints. I will be rather sad when this bottle finishes. From what I have read, the Gold Label NAS release is not close to as delicious as this.

The Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year old blended Scotch whisky is a dram that is worth saving for a special occasion and then celebrating in golden style.

I have done a side by side comparison between this Gold Label and the Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, and following the link will allow you to see the results.

Also Read: Glenmorangie 18 yo whisky


Cragganmore 12 year old Single Malt Whisky

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On 10/22/2018

In Single Malt whisky

Cragganmore 12 yo whisky header
It feels like I am on an exploration of Diageo’s Classic Malts. This year, I have tasted the Talisker 10 year old, the Cardhu 12 year old and now the Cragganmore 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

Can you believe it, it is another new distillery that I have not tried before. Cragganmore represents Speyside in the Classic Malts series.The Cragganmore distillery is situated in the Ballindalloch village in Banffshire.

The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith who also managed The Macallan and The Glenlivet distilleries. The site was chosen both for its closeness to the waters of the mineral-rich Craggan Burn which tumbles down the Craggan More hill and because it was close to the Strathspey railway.

The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ‘creagan mór’ or ‘big rock’. It is one of the smaller distillers, and the majority of the production is used for blending, especially as part of the White Horse and Johnnie Walker Black blended expressions.

The Cragganmore 12 year old is a sherried expression that is lightly peated. The Cragganmore range also has  a Distillers Edition, and I have seen a 25 year old as well. There are various independent bottlings from Cragganmore available too.

Also Read: Dalwhinnie 15 yo Whisky

Cragganmore 12 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

Review and tastin gnotes Cragganmore 12 yo single malt whisky with glass
REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich Gold

NOSE: Fresh summer fruit salad drizzled with lavender honey, wildflowers with hints of cream and  spices. The nose is quite sweet and delicate.

PALATE: Honey and fruit sweetness with hints of smoked nuts and malt. The Cragganmore 12 year old single malt has a medium body and a creamy mouthfeel. Adding water softens the sweetness and brings more spices to the front. Suddenly there are notes of spicy oak and dry orange peel with cloves and pepper.

FINISH: Medium length with orange peel and oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I enjoyed the Cragganmore 12 year old Scotch without water, but could not finish it the moment I added the water. It was as if the water changed the sweetness into orange peel notes. How strange. I enjoyed the balance between the sweetness and the smoke, but this changed the moment you add some water.

Not a bad whisky, perhaps I just had a rough day. I will try it again later this week. It is suggested that you pair the Cragganmore 12 year old with a grilled chicken salad to bring out the smoky notes. This pairing might be a great idea for dinner later in the week and a good opportunity to try it again.

Also Read: Oban 14 yo whisky


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