drink
Shannon Sherry
The myth and mystique that imbues the marketing of Scotch whisky is almost as heady as the “water of life” itself. The makers of Scotch sell more than just a drink: with the “liquid gold” consumers get drunk on an entire body of Scottish legend.
At a highly enjoyable whisky banquet put on for media guests by Johnnie Walker recently, two “Keepers of the Quaich” wove history and an appreciation of the finer points of the noble drink into their promotional spiel. Only about 1 000 people worldwide are honoured with this title, which is conferred for services to Scotch whisky.
Johnnie Walker produces both the world’s top-selling whisky (its Red Label brand) and the top-selling premier whisky (Black Label).
Both, like others in the Johnnie Walker range, are blended whiskies, which means they are made from a combination of a maximum of 36 grain and single malt whiskies. The Black Label blend combines 34 whiskies.
Some whisky snobs have been known to claim that single malts are inherently superior to blends, a myth that was exploded right at the outset.
“Blended whiskies are the highest expression of the skill of individual blenders,” said one of the hosts. And, to boot: “In Scotland, no whisky is regarded as a bad whisky. There are regional preferences but all whiskies are appreciated.”
The correct way to drink whisky, said one of the Keepers, is whichever way you enjoy it. Even mixing it with Coca-Cola, as Americans and some others do, is acceptable. This obvious promotional ploy aside, no mixers other than fine spring water to bring out the bouquet were available at the banquet. Even ice is strictly a no-no for whisky purists as it tends to obscure the flavour and bouquet.
Both the Keepers did their best to hide their pleasure at suggestions that adding Coke seemed to be a particularly savage fouling of the noble water.
Also on offer was the Johnnie Walker Green Label, a “pure malt” whisky, meaning it is blended from a maximum of nine single malts, with no grain whisky added.
The fine, fruity Green Label itself is made from seven single malts.
The Johnnie Walker Gold Label, which has a remarkable honeyish taste, was originally made for the sole pleasure of the company’s directors. Only later was it made available to the masses outside the boardroom.
Here the Keepers demonstrated how to use the “legs” or “tears” of the whisky to judge its age. When a glass is held at an angle for a few seconds and then levelled, a residue remains on the wall of the glass. The more slowly this residue runs down, the older the whisky.
Johnnie Walker Swing was made for the shipping trade and comes in a rounded, bottom-heavy bottle that springs upright when it is knocked over. Good stuff inside, too.
The Blue Label, retailing at R1 000-plus a bottle, was introduced as the grande finale. It might perhaps have been more appropriate as the second or third dop of the evening rather than what was, for this writer, the eighth or ninth. At that stage many of its merits, for obvious reasons, were largely wasted, and heaven knows when another opportunity to enjoy this “Savoy of whiskies” might arise.
As Woody Allen noted: “Life is about the search for food. But sometimes one needs a beverage.” To that, I say “slangivar” (cheers).
While whisky seems expensive in comparison to other spirits, the price of Scotch in South Africa compares very favourably with that in other countries, even England, when the exchange rate is taken into account. Visitors often stock up here before heading homewards.