(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)
Ah, good old Johnnie Walker Red Label; probably the most dunked upon scotch whisky in existence. Yet despite the intense amount of hate this blend gets, it is the workhorse of its owner, Diageo, generating billions in sales and playing a pivotal role in making the brand the best selling scotch in the world
Success doesn't always mean that something is actually good though, and much of the success of Johnnie Walker Red Label is down to it being one of the most commonly used cocktail whiskies in bars across the planet, from the hip bars of New York, to the lavish clubs of Shanghai. It's not a whisky that is known for being popular to sip and enjoy neat. Can it be though? That's what I aim to find out in this bottom shelf whisky review! Before we get started though, a little bit about the Red Label blend:
It was one of the earliest blends released under the brand name, only predated by the black label.
It's a blend of around 30 Scottish grain and malt whiskies, with Cardhu traditionally being the primary malt component and linchpin of the blend.
It's a NAS blend and contains the youngest whiskies of all of the Johnnie Walker range. Not surprising given that it's also the cheapest.
Vitals:
ABV: 40%
Colour: Gold
Chill-filtered: Yes.
Nose: Sweet cream and cereal notes hit, with oatmeal porridge being particularly dominant. This is followed by almond flour, cherries and a touch of raisins. there is the faintest hint of smoke, but it's very weak. 17.5/25
Palate: Quite rough and spicy at first, with a bit of an ethanol burn, black pepper and salt. Thankfully, the unpleasant ethanol burn quickly subsides and is replaced with notes of raisins, dried cherries and caramel. There is a mild grainy, metallic flavour floating around in the background, but it's tolerable and not too noticeable unless you actively seek it out. 11/25
Finish: a light ashy smoke and oatmeal give the distinct impression of eating a bowl of cereal around a campfire OR a bowl of cereal with cigarette stubs dunked into it, depending on your point of view. I'd going to go with the former as it's actually a pretty pleasant, if short and very one-dimensional, finish. 16/25
Value*: Costco has the cheapest Johnnie Walker Red Label in Korea, so if you feel like buying a bottle to mix or to sip, then go there. The price there is actually pretty good. 22.5/25
Conclusion:
It isn't fantastic by any stretch of the imagination, but it is wholly undeserving of the hate that it gets. There are much worse blends on the market than the Red Label, and hell, a few of the budget grade single malts are worse than this. It wasn't made for sipping, but it can most definitely be sipped with little trouble at all and while it isn't all that great on the palate, it does reward you with a decent finish. Honestly, it really isn't as bad as people say it is and makes for a decent whisky to sip. If sipping is not your thing though, try high-balling it as it was made with that in mind.
Basic Rating: 59.3%
Price Adjusted Rating*: 67%
Daily Drinker: Yes.
Possible pairing: Soda water and a dash of lemon juice.
Where to find in Korea: Costco (cheapest), Every supermarket, every convenience store.
TLDR Version:
N: Cream, cereal, oatmeal → almond flour, cherries, raisins, smoke
P: Ethanol, black pepper, salt → raisins, dried cherries, caramel, grain
F: short with smoke and oatmeal
V: Cheap at Costco.
C: Not as bad as people say it is. Decent for sipping. Great for highballs.
한국어 시음평:
N: 크림, 시리얼, 오트밀 → 아몬드 가루, 체리, 건포도, 스모크.
P : 에탄올, 후추, 소금 → 건포도, 말린 체리, 카라멜, 곡물
F: 스모크, 오트밀. 피니시가 굉장히 짧아요.
V : 코스트코에서 사는 것이 싸요
C: 사람들이 말하는 것만큼 나쁘지 않아요.
Buy / Mooch / Pass: Buy
Review by Glasgowhisky
2020/05/05
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