Johnnie Walker White Walker (2018)

A little while ago I already reviewed the Game of Thrones Single Malts, which were released after the Johnnie Walker White Walker. So I guess you could say I reviewed them the wrong way around, or maybe I should’ve included the White Walker with the single malts. But I didn’t, so… tough luck.

So what information is there to share about the White Walker? It was created by blender George Harper and the Johnnie Walker team, and uses Cardhu and Clynelish, among others. But that really doesn’t say anything, now does it? Throw in a few drops of Caol Ila and it doesn’t resemble Cardhu or Clynelish one bit.

The bottle carries a recommendation to taste the whisky straight from the freezer. Well, I hope we all know I’m not going to do that.

Johnnie Walker White Walker (41.7%, OB, 2018)

Nose: Pretty chemical. There’s some fruit, mainly in the citrus arena, like grapefruit. Hints of charcoal embers, and a pretty grain forward profile indeed. Caramel and vanilla round out an overall sweetness.
Taste: Pretty spicy (cloves, pepper, nutmeg) and bitter. A note of charred oak is also pretty present, with the faintest possible hint of smoke.
Finish: Caramel, spices, a hint of apple. Short.

Score: 69

The nose is okay, but this falls flat on its face once you take a sip. Maybe there’s a reason this is supposed to be chilled.

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.

3 comments