Earlier in the year we had tried the other side of this coin in the Song of Ice whiskey, and it was (thanks to a rusty nail) well received, and we wanted to make sure to grab a bottle of this to tell people what to buy before this is likely gone. However not everyone can win the game of thrones, and this is by far the weaker of the two.
In short, it’s the change of making a whiskey that feels more like fire in your throat then in your belly. We love a good smoky whiskey, but this burns, and fails to be tempered well by any cocktail. Given the Ice is the same price – it’s essentially the easiest choice – go House Stark.
What they Say: “Fire consumes everything it touches. It melts steel to hone the sharpest, deadliest blade. Fire courses through the veins of House Targaryen and is made flesh in the form of its dragons. With fire in their blood the Targaryen dragons breathe ferocious flames. Like a scorching blaze, they roar their verse of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire is a blended Scotch Whisky inspired by these beasts of the sky. Peated malt from Caol Ila lends subtle smoke, tempered by a rich, rounded sweetness. A full-bodied flavor delivers subtle red fruit, a hint of spice and a sweet smoke. This blended Scotch Whisky is best enjoyed neat for a warm, smooth finish.”
Taste: 5.5 – You immediately get that flavor impact from something overproof and woody. There’s a tiny bit of peat there, but it feels more like fire.
Aftertaste: 5.0 – In case you thought – hey because this is fire it’s gonna be a fit fiery on the backend right? Well duh, but also yes. Whereas Ice was smoke, this is the flames.
Burn/Smooth: 3.5 – When we start busting out the thesaurus for words like burning – it’s clear this will not fair well. The core reason being that it’s not particularly warming or possessing a nice slow burn as it lingers – it’s just a flash.
Aroma: 6.5 – It’s not super powerful, and it really feels like a peat and heat (overproof bourbon) sort of smell. Unlike the Ice, it’s simply not as delicious smelling but oddly feels more on brand.
Honesty: 6.5 – The ‘warm, smooth finish’ is about as well-received as the ‘finish’ of the series (topical!) That is the main sticking point however as it’s otherwise fine.
Mixability: 5.5
W/ Rocks: 6.0 – Well this is the fire, so mix it with … ice … and. Well. So there’s this muted smoke and flames going on that actually is better, but it feels like it’s happening around the edges and there’s supposed to be this nice great whiskey in the foreground, but it’s nothing. It’s like it’s teasing you – annoyingly.
Rusty Nail: 5.5 – Well this is what we were waiting for from the Song of Ice version – the results? Fine. Even adjusting ratios to have it be ‘right’ you simply don’t have that wonderful blend of spice and smoke like you had before. A bit sad, but hey – go buy the Song of Ice.
Whiskey & Ginger Ale: 5.0 – As feared with the ice addition – you lose so much of the whiskey that it could be any whiskey – which is the problem.
Value: 4.0 – While the same price, you get a worse whiskey – and given you can get better Johnnie Walkers here let alone scotches – yes we are not here to sing the praise of a great deal.
Google Shop Average: $39
Website: http://www.johnniewalker.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 5.0
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Metric Score: 36.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 5.21 |+| Reviewer Average: 5.0
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Final Thoughts: [Spoiler warning] It seems much like Dany this whiskey turns on us with a twist no one is buying and is summarily killed and dragged away. If you see a Song of Ice in stores – sure, grab a bottle before it too fades into obscurity, but it’d be a fool to think the two of them together could ever work. Besides, who has a better story than Bran?
