Showing posts with label Johnnie Walker A Song Of Ice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnnie Walker A Song Of Ice. Show all posts

Johnnie Walker A Song Of Ice Review


“A Blend On Ice”

Whisky Review # 860

Country: Scotland
Brand: Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice (Limited Edition)
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40.2%
Maturation: Unknown. I presume Refill Ex-Bourbon - & some Refill Sherry Wood
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 30-35 (February 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍Okay. Nothing special though and a little Thin.
Buying Advice: 👍 You won't throw it in the sink and it's a nice bottle! 

Colour: Golden Sunlight/Light Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light, Young, Floral, a little Thin and Sweet. The Grain Whisky rules but it's a little Softer than the regular JW Red. Not much going on though. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Grain, Breakfast Cereals, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Honey, Grass, Banana, Green Apple, Coconut, Mint, Cinnamon and Gooseberry.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Butterscotch, Toffee, Wax, Orange, Pear, Nectarine, Herbal Tea, Lemon, Varnish and Oak Char.


Palate:

Light, Young, Bitter-Sweet and slightly Sour. Again, it's a little softer and less harsh than the regular JW Red. You can sip this Neat although I prefer it over ice. The Alcohol is present of course.

Main Flavours:

Grain Alcohol, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Grass, Oak Char, Banana, Coconut, Green Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Butterscotch, Toast and Margarine, Wax, Pear, Gooseberry, Nectarine, Varnish, Iron, Herbal Tea and Nutmeg.

Finish:

Quite Short, Bitter-Sweet and a little Sour and Musty. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Toffee, Caramel, Oak Char, Artificially Flavoured Candies (Cherry/Pineapple/Green Apple), Honey, Grass, Lemon, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Iron, Pepper, Ginger and Gooseberry.

Drinking Advice:

I prefer it without added Water but you remarkably can add a few drops if you like.

Rating: 77

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19  - Finish: 18.5  - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Light but Okay

Conclusion:

Diageo and HBO work together in celebrating the enormous success of Game of Thrones. As successors to The White Walker Blend released in 2018 two new Blends saw the light last year. A Song of Fire representing the House Targaryen and A Song of Ice representing House Stark. I will review the first one later this month.  A Song of Ice comes in a nice bottle and shows a Dire Wolf, the House Stark's house sigil, in an icy setting with frosted Blue and Grey Colours inspired by the North of Westeros. At its heart lies Clynelish, one of Scotland's northern distilleries. It is bottled at a weird ABV of 40.2%. Never saw that!

I usually don't care much for Diageo's commercial policy but I do think they did it right this time. For US$ 30 (Or US$ 19 that I paid in the Duty Free) you get a very nice bottle that you will want to keep and a reasonable Blend to go along with it. This is a step up from the regular JW Red. It's not a huge step of course but still! It's easily drinkable over Ice and you can even sip it neat if you like. I don't taste much Clynelish but at this price level I'm not gonna complain. This is not a Blend for the winters that are coming but should be enjoyed on a warm summer day over Ice.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 10, 2020