Johnnie Walker Swing

by Patrick Gary

Scotch has acquired an air of sophistication about it that can seem daunting to a beginner. There seems to be a secret society of the single-malts where each of the whiskies has a distinctive character to it. It can feel a bit like some of the more pretentious wine-tastings when someone is first learning about the single-malts. However there is something to be said for having an inviting entry place. Something where a beginner can start to understand what the talk is all about, yet the experienced and learned aficionado can still enjoy.

Johnnie Walker has been the standard bearer for this type of whisky. While each single-malt maker tries to make something truly unique, each of the colored labels in Johnnie Walker attempt to maintain a particular taste frozen in time; something that is of very high quality, but still repeatable. Johnnie Walker Blue could be considered the ultimate achievement in this realm. It certainly is among the smoothest whiskies ever blended. That said, each of the other labels has its fans, and the blends do not all reside on the color wheel.

Johnnie Walker Swing is named for the distinctive bottle, in which an irregular bottom allows it to rock back and forth. It was created in 1932, blended specifically for trans-Atlantic travel, with the bottle being engineered to stay upright rather than crash onto the floor behind the bar on ships. The distinctive bottle has a convex base that allows it to rock back and forth when pushed or when the bar itself is moving around. It was Alexander II's last blend: it features a high proportion of Speyside malts, complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay. It has no age declaration, this is not uncommon for the Johnnie Walker line of scotch whiskies.

The majority of the single-malts in the blend hail from Speyside, where the whiskies vary between those matured for many years in sherry casks to gain richness and those that are lighter and more aromatic. Swing uses a high proportion of these contrasting malts in the blend, complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay to add spice and weight.

For those of you who aren't real whisky snobs, if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of that, there's no need to concern yourself too much. As this is a blend, the geography is not particularly important.

The flavor of Johnnie Walker Swing is interesting and sweet, or at least sweet for a Scotch. There is a bit of bourbon to the flavor, not unlike a smokier, peatier Maker's Mark. It is more subtle and relaxed than Johnnie Walker Blue, though with a lot stronger finish. Whereas Blue seems to evaporate off the tongue, Swing pleasantly lingers with some smokiness and spice. The Scotch can pleasingly be sipped neat, but for the real body to open up it seems best served on ice. Like many other whiskies, the flavor is really at its most pleasing when it is in the 30-35% alcohol range. 3 or 4 ice cubes and 10 minutes really open up the flavor.

One of the nicest parts of the tasting of Johnnie Walker Swing, however, is that it does not seem to have a strong, burning alcohol flavor at any point. Johnnie Walker Swing is a really nice part of the line, as it has all of the distinctive characteristics of a good scotch whisky, but is smooth enough to please fans of bourbon or Canadian whisky. Additionally, the price point (when it can be located; it is not in nearly as wide a distribution as the "colored" labels) is roughly 1/3 of the premium Blue Label. I've found it normally in the $60-70 per bottle price range. Though Johnnie Walker Blue is generally considered the king of blended Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker Swing could clearly be a prince.

So while the single-malt snobs may scoff at the Johnnie Walker line (for being a blend, regardless of how good a blend), the vast majority of whisky drinkers (regardless of their favored nationality of whisky) should enjoy Johnnie Walker Swing. If nothing else, the bottle is still pretty cool.

-Patrick Gary is a Dallas based technical consultant and multifaceted musician who refuses to let any single realm of life or group of interests completely define or encapsulate him.