The year was 1819 and John Walker’s father had just died. A tough start for a humble farm lad, you might think, but there was always something special about John. A glint in his eye, a fire in his belly, a spring in step perhaps. Nose: Malt, chocolate, coffee, toffee, apples, oranges, and sherry notes like raisins, spices and caramel. Roses? Yes, definitely a floral/rosey note in here. A pinch of salt. I could forget this was a blend; the grain notes are calm and well integrated. The grainy notes that are detectable work in this whisky’s favour by adding to the earthiness of the nose. When I first bought this I didn’t love it. But several weeks later it’s really opening up. Time in the bottle as well as time in the glass bring new dimensions to this blend.

When John finally passed away after a full and prosperous life in 1857, he left his son, Alexander, with a very healthy business. In 1909 After Walker died in 1857, it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a famous brand. The Johnnie Walker Swing is a blend of 35 whiskies with a high proportion of Speyside malts. These are complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay. There are also whiskies matured in sherry casks. PALATE: On the palate, the Johnnie Walker Swing is very smooth and quite oily. Spicy notes balance the sherry sweetness. There are notes of smoke and faint peat, probably from the Islay whiskies. There are some cereal flavours and oak. The spice is reminiscent of pepper with hints of ginger. FINISH: Long and rich. It ends in rich notes of spice and oak with a hint of cloves. Swing is an easy-drinking whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Details

NOSE: The sherry cask sweetness comes through. There is also some mild smoke and spice. The nose has an old-world feel to it. Hints of dried fruits, tobacco and leather. Nosing this Johnnie Walker Swing, you can almost imagine the old leather couches in a gentleman’s club in London during the early 1900s. Nose: Malt, malt, and more malt. After it settles down a bit, I get…more malt. I’m not complaining – I like malt! Other sweet notes that arrive are in the soft and rich category: vanilla, honey, maple syrup, chocolate, and a hint of fresh-baked bread. Maybe a touch of cherries – not fresh off the tree, but tart and rich after having been baked in a pie. Underneath it all is a quiet earthy texture that doesn’t quite fit, even though I usually like quiet earthy textures. Some nice grasses and flowers, perhaps, but a little too much dirt. Nonetheless, it’s a solid, B-plus nose. Johnnie Walker is the biggest whisky brand in the world. Furthermore, its slogan everywhere adopted and embraced its slogan. Moreover, as a rallying cry for progress, as encouragement in adversity, as a joyful expression of optimism and as the best piece of advice you’re ever likely to hear. Blended Scotch Whisky Nose: Full of sherry and fruit sweetness. Nosing this whisky transports you to a warm spring day underneath a blossoming orange tree. There's a strong scent of orange blossom and dried apples and also a little hint of oak. Palate: It's very light, fluid, and fruity. The sherry is subdued and more fruitiness comes out on the palate. I get the same fruit tastes as I smelled in the nose, but all are a bit more subdued. There's a faint smokiness. On first sip it seemed a little young and harsh, but I think that might have just been my mouth not being prepared because it was silky smooth for the second sip.

Finish: As the gentle spices begin to dry a smoky note comes in. It’s very subdued and understated, but at the same time it stays at the core of the finish. Several sherry notes return, and with them a gentle spicy tingle, all under a layer of that soft smoke. The sherry notes fade first, and we’re left with lingering smoke and salt throughout the medium finish. Also Read: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label vs Gold Label whisky Review and Tasting Notes for the Johnnie Walker Swing Whisky The story behind this blend is well-known, so here’s the two-sentence version for the sake of brevity and non-redundancy: The late Sir Alexander Walker II, grandson of John Walker, crafted the Swing blend in 1932 for the ostensible purpose of creating a “swinging” bottle that would be distinctive on ocean-liner bar shelves. It’s also the last blend that Sir Alex created, and the modern version is presumably as close to the original as available ingredients will allow. The world in those days wasn’t the friendliest of places and John knew it. No time to grieve. There was a living to be made.