Johnnie Walker Highball

I recently attended a Johnnie Walker tasting event, held at Againn in Northwest DC.  I invited a friend, Nikki, to go with me and we arrived just as the event was beginning.  About 20 people were seated at tables arranged in a hollow square, inside of which were two gentlemen in kilts.  Yes, Scottish kilts.  The two men spoke about Scotch and what to expect from the tasting.  A waiter came around and asked if we’d like a cocktail.  We were served a highball that contained Johnnie Walker Black Label, ginger ale, ginger syrup, and fresh lemon juice with a lemon slice garnish.  The drink was relatively strong, but refreshing and tasty.  At each place setting, an midnight blue oaktag booklet expounded on the benefits and quality of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.  Underneath the booklet, a printed out menu described our food pairings for the evening.

First Course: Spring Mix Salad

Johnnie Walker Green Label was the first whisky we tasted.  One of the kilted men, Peter Zimmerman, gave a short talk on the Green Label in the middle of the hollow square of tables.  He told the group that the whisky contained a blend of 15 single malts aged for 15 years in sherry barrels.  He added that we should expect a smoky finish, and suggested we add a few drops of water to the alcohol.  Peter later explained that the water breaks the surface tension of the drink, allowing for more flavor and scent.  I found the Green Label to be a bit sharp for my taste, but it went well with food selection.  The first course consisted of a fresh spring mix salad with cherry tomatoes and radish slices.  The salad had been tossed with a light vinaigrette.  Accompanying the salad, warmed baguette slices were served with butter.

Second Course: Pork Belly Entree

Following the first course, an intermediate basket of bread was served.  Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to ask what kind of bread it was, but it was heavenly.  The crust was thin and crisp, decorated with sesame seeds.  The inside was unbelievably soft and smelled deliciously yeasty.  Truthfully, I would go back to Againn for this bread alone.  It was really that good.

The next whisky up was Johnnie Walker Black Label.  The expectation for Black Label was a creamier, full-bodied taste with hints of black pepper.  We were told that the Scottish have a word for alcohols exhibiting this “meaty” quality: mortlach.  Peter described Black Label as his favorite everyday whisky.  The main course paired with the whisky was a pork dish.  It consisted of a creamy scoop of grits topped by tart pickled cabbage.  Around the island of grits, a light brown sauce was the perfect salty balance to the tartness of the cabbage.  Over the cabbage, three slices of braised pork belly were topped by a airy and crisp piece of crackling.  The pork belly was literally

Third Course: Sticky Toffee Pudding

fork-tender, and I’d never had a crackling that wasn’t overwhelmingly salty… until the one I had at Againn.  The delicious sesame-sprinkled bread was served with the meal, as well.  The entire entrée was well balanced in terms of flavors, and the Black Label was a very good pairing for it.

The dessert course was served next, and was accompanied by Johnnie Walker Gold Label.  The Gold Label was the tastiest of the whiskies and had a creamy texture in the mouth.  Undertones of honey and spices made it taste expensive and high-quality.  The dessert pairing was made up of a scoop of stout-flavored ice cream served over a sticky toffee pudding.  I was unimpressed by the ice cream, as it was a bit too icy for my taste and the stout flavor was too faint.  However, the sticky toffee pudding was amazing.  The pudding portion was perfectly steamed and spiced.  The sauce was delightfully buttery; overall, the dessert and Gold Label were the best pairing of the evening.

The last whisky we were served was the Johnnie Walker Blue Label.  The special aspect of the Blue Label comes from the blends from which it’s made.  Some of the whiskies in the blend are no longer available for purchase, and some are 30 years old or more.  In the blue booklet at our place settings, suggestions for engraving or inscribing the bottles as gifts for the holidays were on a couple of the pages.  The Blue Label was the smoothest whisky we tasted that evening, but I still prefer the Gold Label for flavor.  The service at Againn was incredible; I would recommend it to anyone looking for a hearty and flavorful food and delicious bread.

-TKW

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