ABV: 46 %
Origin: Scotland unsp.
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is candy cane and pine trees. The first impact is extremely sweet and the rye Cask finish is very noticable. The candy cane note consists of vanilla, peppermint, spices and honey. The grain distillate sits as a backdrop and gives it a thick layer of added sweetness. There are some Bassett’s allsorts somewhere in the back and a minty layer on top. It is actually kind of nice on the nose and the 10+ years have removed most of the harshness from the grain distillate.

Mouth: It’s very watery at first and then the rye spices and the pine notes take over. It’s not as sweet as on the nose which is a good thing, but there’s a thick vanilla layer sitting in the back. A slight bitterness builds up after a few seconds but it never turns over to become an oakiness. It feels quite light and lacks some depth. The rye spices really build up after a few sips.

Finish: A cloud of menthol fills the mouth and then disappears equally fast. The pine note becomes very pronounced and the candy cane now sits in the back. It stays this way a long time before a subtle oakiness finally arrives. It’s a touch dry and it never really takes front seat until everything else sort of allows it to. This is overall actually a quite enjoyable blend.

Additional information
This is the first release in Johnnie Walker’s Select Casks range. It’s made up by blending whiskies matured in first fill american oak casks for at least 10 years and then finished in american ex-rye casks.