You are a sum of the company you keep. Seek, and ye shall find. Choose your friends wisely, and you’re a happy man. The same goes for blended whisky – it builds on the different strengths of various whiskies. Obviously, the pedantics have no idea what they’re missing out on. Johnnie Walker makes a damn good blended Scotch, and this year’s Private Collection edition is here to top the last.
It’s the most complex edition to date, having the blenders pore over at least 100 casks of whiskies, from scores of single grain to the master blender’s secret stash of Highland single malt yielded from American oak. We have a good feeling about this ‘Fine Honeyed Notes’ edition, given how well the grain and malt whisky hit it off. According to Johnnie Walker’s brand ambassador Tom Jones, a lot of the honeyed notes come from the grain whisky. While malt whisky is more full-bodied and flavoursome, grain whisky is subtle and light. They go hand in hand together.
Scotland is no longer survived by many grain whisky distilleries, which makes the 2016 Private Collection all the more special – multiple layers of the finest single grain Scotch whiskies complemented by a special Highland single malt. Soft, creamy and reminiscent of apples and pears, this whisky is best served neat or with a splash of ice cold water.
All that and said, it’s yours if you have $1,250 to spare. There are only 8,888 in the world, of which 99 are available in Singapore. Get it exclusively through Diageo’s private client sales team via privateclientsg@diageo.com.