“Wishful Thin King”
Whisky Review # 1057
Country: Scotland 🏴
Brand: John Walker & Sons King George V
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 450-500 (February 2025)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😃 It's a nice but not exceptional Blend if you can afford it
Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Colored)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😃 It's a nice but not exceptional Blend if you can afford it
Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Colored)
Nose:
Sweet and a little Shy. It may be a luxury Blend but it is a Blend and the Grain Alcohol is noticeable in the background. The Nose is quite inoffensive and you can clearly smell the Ex-Sherry casks. There's a little Smoke as well & that enhances the Aroma profile. It's quite pleasant all in all but at this price level I expected a bit more depth and complexity.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, X-Mas Cake, Dried Fruits (Apricot, Plums, Figs, Raisins, Banana), Cooked Orchard Fruit, Toasted Almonds, Orange, Dusty Oak, Leather, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Menthol/Mint, Ginger, Cinnamon and a hint of Smoked Pork.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Wax, Smoke, Ash, Cigar Box, slightly Sour Grapefruit and Lemon, Floral Perfume, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Blackberry Jam, Nutmeg and Cloves, Peanut Butter, Wood Polish and Tropical Fruit Cocktail.
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, X-Mas Cake, Dried Fruits (Apricot, Plums, Figs, Raisins, Banana), Cooked Orchard Fruit, Toasted Almonds, Orange, Dusty Oak, Leather, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Menthol/Mint, Ginger, Cinnamon and a hint of Smoked Pork.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Wax, Smoke, Ash, Cigar Box, slightly Sour Grapefruit and Lemon, Floral Perfume, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Blackberry Jam, Nutmeg and Cloves, Peanut Butter, Wood Polish and Tropical Fruit Cocktail.
Cardhu Distillery
Sweet & Smooth but also on the Thin side. The Grain Alchol remains noticeable. On the Palate King George V is mainly Sweet but also presents a very nice Salty accent. Again slightly underwhelming. Just a faint hint of Peat Smoke.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums, Apricots and Figs, Cooked Apples, Orange, Espresso, Leather, Licorice, Menthol/Mint, Toasted Almonds, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon.
Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums, Apricots and Figs, Cooked Apples, Orange, Espresso, Leather, Licorice, Menthol/Mint, Toasted Almonds, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Syrup, Straw, Canned Peach and Mandarins, Smoke, Earth, Ash, Slightly Sour Lemon and Cranberries, Blackberry Jam, Herbal Tea, Cloves, Nutmeg and Salted Pork.
Honey, Syrup, Straw, Canned Peach and Mandarins, Smoke, Earth, Ash, Slightly Sour Lemon and Cranberries, Blackberry Jam, Herbal Tea, Cloves, Nutmeg and Salted Pork.
Medium-Long and a little on the Thin side. This should have been bottled at 46%. It's Mainly Sweet with a nice Salty notch towards the Medium-Dry end. The Grain Alcohol remains noticeable. I find Sweet Malted Barley, Toasted Grain, Caramel, Toffee, Syrup, Honey, Straw, Canned Peach, Orange-Flavored Dark Chocolate, Dried Fruit like Apricots, Raisins and Figs, Toasted Almonds, Smoke, Ash, Earth, Dusty Oak, Herbal Tea, Blackberry Jam, Menthol/Mint, Pepper, Ginger & Nutmeg. As always the Finish is the weaker part of the JW blends.
Drinking Advice:
King George V does not improve with added Water.
King George V does not improve with added Water.
Rating: 8 (********)
Nose: 8 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Conclusion:
John Walker & Sons released this Special Edition in 2007 to celebrate the Royal Warrant that King George V awarded the company in 1934. It is made with Single Malts from distilleries that were operating during the reign of King George V from 1910 to 1936. It includes a.o. Cardhu, Royal Lochnagar, Port Ellen and very old Grain Whisky to try & replicate the Johnnie Walker style of that period. Packaging and Bottle are really luxurious.
John Walker & Sons released this Special Edition in 2007 to celebrate the Royal Warrant that King George V awarded the company in 1934. It is made with Single Malts from distilleries that were operating during the reign of King George V from 1910 to 1936. It includes a.o. Cardhu, Royal Lochnagar, Port Ellen and very old Grain Whisky to try & replicate the Johnnie Walker style of that period. Packaging and Bottle are really luxurious.
If only the contents were just as luxurious! Don't get me wrong, the King George V is a nice blend but at this price level anything else would be ridiculous. I was expecting a lot more though despite my concerns about the low ABV. The 43% is not good enough for a project like this. As a result it's rather on the Thin side on the Nose and on the Palate. Is is said that very old Grain Whisky was used in the blend but even very old Grain Whisky remains noticeable. As does the very Malty Cardhu. I could drink this Blend on a daily basis as it's quite nice but it's way too expensive for that. And for a special occasion you can buy a very good Single Malt at this price level. The British new wave band China Crisis remained in my head during this Tasting session. And indeed I consider this John Walker & Sons King George V blend to be a Wishful Thin King!
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende February 20, 2025
