Drink Review: Johnnie Walker Swing

Johnnie Walker Swing (so named for the rocking motion of the bottle when pushed) has been around since 1932, when it was introduced for international travellers by Johnnie Walker’s genius grandson Sir Alexander Walker towards the end of his long, illustrious career. A rich old gold colour and a nose of almost perfumed sweetness, Swing is smooth with a light freshness that covers a deeper fruitiness with some smoke and oak flavours.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review:

The palate is the same story, a sweet, rich mixture of fruity notes, still dancing well between the light and the dark. The sweetness is less obvious here than in the nose, a kind of fruity fruitiness that sits just below the surface of the whisky, not quite bursting through to the foreground but evoking a kind of sweetness in the mouth. It’s just a hint of a pull in the finish, the whisky’s initial supple bounce dulling somewhat the moment it hits the tongue.

Overall this is a fine whisky, a thoroughly pleasant drink that, like the old Johnnie Walker blend, is one of the best on hand. The new version certainly doesn’t fall down any of the old routes (gloopy factory leather; sugar; and, yes, over-oaked-ness) that have made the old blend so unpalatable. Johnnie Walker Swing is a fine whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 1:

Johnnie Walker Swing has the same nose and taste that the old, iconic Johnnie Walker blend had (it was the same Johnnie Walker blend in 1930s) before being discontinued in the sixties. To me, this is the same blend as the old one, the two aren’t that different. It is sweet and has a slightly smoky edge. It’s one of my favorite blends.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 2:

This whisky has a soft mossy green colour with a light brown colour. The nose is rich and warm with a wonderful balance of fruit and tobacco and a strong hint of oak. The palate is soft and creamy with a creamy texture and a wonderful strength of fruit with a zesty tobacco mid palate and a very long finish. This is a great blend and a very tasty whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 3:

This is a blended whisky that combines three recipes created by Johnnie Walker’s grandson (founder of the whisky) Alexander Walker, combining an unaged spirit distilled in 1870 with a rare whisky distilled in 1930 and a mixture created in 1982. The finished blend has a light-sweet nose with a mouth revealing peat, sherry and licorice. The palate is a creamy mouth-feel with soft and sour fruits with a woody, peat, sherry and warm finish. This whisky is great and I would recommend it to any lover of blended whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 4:

Johnnie Walker Swing is a gorgeous whisky, rich and sweet with notes of sherry and muscat grape and a very pleasant, light smoky note. Smooth with a soft finish.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 5:

Johnnie Walker’s Sixtie is a luxury blend with notes of fresh pear, apple, mulberry, apricot and a rich, nutty, slightly spicy finish. The nose is light and sweet with soft oak, old books and a subtle hint of peat. The palate is smooth with a light body. A nice whisky, not complex but with some nice character.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 6:

A nice whisky, very smooth and just under 100 years old. The nose is smooth with an almost candied note but not overwhelming sherry like a sherry cask finish should have. There’s also a rich, almost tobacco-like note but it’s quite subtle. The palate is soft and smooth with notes of old library book, light soil liqueur and a creamy finish. This is a reasonably sweet, smooth and slightly smoky whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 7:

This is a delightful whisky, light, fresh and sweet but with a lovely slight smoky edge. There’s a wonderful balance of fruits and wood and spice and a wonderful warmth from the colour of the whisky. A very different whisky to the rest but one I’d never recommend less.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 8:

This is a smooth, sweet whisky with a balanced taste. The nose is creamy with a slight hint of the peat, light wood and malty notes and a light orange peel and anise note. There’s an initial rush of sweetness with tangerine peel and soft wood but it’s followed by a stronger, deeper sweetness with a smooth creamy body and a light finish. This is a very nice whisky that stands out from the crowd.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 9:

This old whisky has very smooth wood notes and a very light peat finish. The nose is clean with notes of tangerine and citrus with a very slight sweetness. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, smoky finish and a lasting finish with a gentle peatiness. This is a nice old whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 10:

This is a smooth but fuller-bodied whisky than the other Johnnie Walker blended mix, with a lovely mix of fruity notes and hints of peat and spice. The nose is a little more powerful with notes of smoke and sherry and some ripe fruit which fade into the background as the finish hits. A little mustard seed and sherry but also a slight sweetness. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth oak and smoke with a long finish.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 11:

Johnnie Walker’s 55 is a fruity blend with notes of apple and cola, nutty and malty with a slight sweetness. It’s quite a sweet whisky and although I don’t necessarily like sweet whisky, this is also a very nice whisky.

This is a smooth, sweet whisky with almost orange marmalade flavours with a hit of smoke and oak and a long finish. This is a very pleasant whisky.

This is a smooth, sweet, fruity whisky that’s very pleasant. The notes of caramel, a touch of fruit and a faint, sweet lingering hop are topped by warming sherry notes and a slightly smoky finish. It’s a very nice but slightly sweet whisky.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 12:

This smooth, sweet whisky with notes of dried apples and sweet sherry are offset by a bitter, tarry feeling – and hints of tobacco – in the finish. The nose is smooth with notes of butterscotch and soft smoke and a light tawny sweetness. The palate is medium-bodied with a light mouth-feel. The finish is dry with notes of dried or slightly burnt apples and tobacco. There’s a lingering, distinct bitterness. This is quite a nice whisky for a blend.

This is a slightly sweet, smoky dram, easy to drink. The nose is honeyed with hints of bread, a touch of peat and some wood. The palate is well-balanced with a long, smooth finish with notes of honeyed oranges and oranges. This is a light, sweet blend.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review 13:

Johnnie Walker’s The Doors of Perception is a blend of four whiskies aged between 30 and 105 years. The opening notes are mangos, honey dew, dried oranges and black pepper. The aroma is sweet and the woodiness in the mouth is gentle. This is a slightly sweet whisky with relatively light peatiness but certainly nothing like the peaty lighter Vatted whisky. I personally think it’s an extremely smooth whisky but different views are possible.

This is a sweet, smooth whisky that’s very gentle and soft. The nose is fresh with notes of dark chocolate, cloves and black pepper with a slight sweetness. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, slightly bitter and quite mellow finish. There’s something of a smoky, flinty finish but its very, very gentle. This is a nice whisky.