Scotland
Johnnie Walker Green Label is a blended malt made entirely with single malts from the four corners of Scotland and aged for at least 15 years. It's one of the best bargains in Scotch whisky and a favourite among bartenders.
The nose is quite rich and full. There are notes of mochaccino and espresso coffee, wood smoke and a fireplace, as well as a touch of bitter chocolate and oak.
The palate has a medium-body with notes of crisp cereals, coffee beans and chocolate, a date note with a touch of walnut.
The finish is quite long and spicy with honeyed sweetness and oak.
I live in the South American country which is the largest importer of Scotch whisky per capita in the world. In downtown ciudad del este today just one of the many stores that stock Johnnie Walker had 75 bottles of green. They are $75 a piece mind you.
I reside in Taiwan and its abundant at every store which sells alcohol at a price roughly abouve 30$US..... EXPLINATION for the discontinued and why its still located here: Taiwan is the 6th largest scotch whiskey consuming country in the world, despite its extremely small size. The Green label is still widely available here for two reasons: 1-Whiskey and Cognac companies, market the premium brands of their lines, making the higher priced products here (as an example, Hennessy VSOP is the standard, VS literally cant be found anywhere in this country, the lowest quality is Black, and that actually costs more than VSOP - I've looked and had to have regular VS imported). As a result of this branding, Green label isn't viewed as a premium brand, thus, it hasn't been marketed very well (it can be found at every 7/11), Welcome, Family Mart and Carrefour....EVERYONE OF THEM. Reason number 2: discontinuation of the Green label was phased in, it wasn't discontinued here when it was initially discontinued in the US, thus, there is still a significant surplus...... Green Label, just as the original Gold Label have years stated on them (15 and 18 accordingly). As the demand of JW whiskey has risen and the company didn't anticipate this demand long ago, there is a shortage of the contents to create these blends. As a strategic move, the company is releasing lower quality whiskey (Gold Label RESERVE - no year on the bottle), maintaining the same price as the original....while its creating new brands at higher prices (Platinum) which maintain the same year as its predecessors at a much higher cost..... Recognizing the fact that both the original GOLD label (not reserve) and Green Label, don't exist in America and will wont be here over the course of the next few years as well, have started to seek avenues to export to the US (however, right now I am hitting road blocks, and have a feeling that I will have to result to transporting them in my luggage during return trips).....
I should add that the buyer had not heard that Green Label had been discontinued, and said she thought her supplier would have more soon since I bought them out. I left my name and number, and told her I would return to buy whatever she could get if she would hold it for me. On the way out of town, I checked two other large liquor stores, and neither even had a facing for Green Label.
Everywhere I go, I look for Green Label, which has always been difficult to find. Yesterday, in the back of the liquor section of a Wal-Mart, I found five bottles of Johnnie Walker Green Label for $59 per bottle, and bought them all.
Not a regular of blended whiskey,but have been inspired by the comments made.Will save them both for a special day.
