John Walker & Sons King George V Blended Scotch Whisky

John Walker & Sons King George V Blended Scotch Whisky is a blended Scotch from John Walker & Sons, marrying malt and grain whiskies, with rare Islay malt such as Port Ellen among its components. Blends like this fold a whisper of legendary closed distillery smoke into a rounded whole. Diageo's Special Releases turned it into a cult name.

A blended Scotch combines malts for character with grain for a lighter frame. Drawing on well aged stock, the peated Islay malts lending smoke and the grain a creamy base. Refill bourbon wood held the spirit, flattering its citric, oily smoke. Refill ex-Bourbon oak, having given its sharpest notes to an earlier fill, lets the peat and the spirit lead. The blender balances the parts into one harmonious Scotch. It wears the big, coastal smoke of the island with pride. A modern Islay dram with a thread of the past inside.

At 43% it is balanced and smoky. Honey, dried fruit and orchard sweetness meet a smoky, mineral note and salted citrus and a soft wax from the Islay malts. Soft embers and brine sit behind the smoke. Salt, smoke and wax draw out the close. A refined blend touched by Port Ellen smoke.