Commemorating explorers of the past and its own journey to become one of the most ubiquitous makers of Scotch in the world, Johnnie Walker’s Trade Route Series has sought to distill the sites, scents and flavors experienced by the Walker family and their employees while selling their whisky over nearly 200 years, from China to Persia to Peru.
Whether or not the Walkers or their agents actually ventured to all of those places to sell Scotch, even with the expanding British empire to help them along, the series pays “homage to travellers of the past and present” with its three blends, all under the umbrella of Johnnie Walker’s Explorers’ Club Collection.
The Trade Routes Series’ three blended scotch whiskies are each named for a historical path of international trade: The Spice Road, The Gold Route, and The Royal Route, the three of which I have in a box-set of 200-milliliter bottles. I’ll be reviewing The Royal Route here, with reviews of the other two preceding this one.
From the small map on the box, it seems that The Royal Route from Istanbul Turkey in the west, through Turkey and Iran and ends roughly at the western border of Pakistan.
Johnnie Walker doesn’t give many details on the creation of any of The Trade Routes Series blends, but does indicate that The Royal Route is matured in “the finest, hand-selected oak casks from our reserve cellars” and comes in at 40 percent alcohol by volume.
The Royal Route and its two companion whiskies (as well as the fourth whisky in the Explorers’ Club Collection, The Adventurer) are only available in Duty Free stores, according to Johnnie Walker’s website.
A one-liter bottle of The Royal Route has a suggested retail price of about $159, according to Whiskey for Everyone, though I’ve seen it on Duty Free stores’ websites for $180.99.
If the Explorers’ Club sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the New York-based club, members of which boast accomplishments of being the first to reach both poles, summit Mount Everest and walk on the moon. A New York judge blocked Johnnie Walker’s parent company Diageo (who also owns Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Guinness and Bulleit) from using the name. The two sides eventually reached a settlement allowing Johnnie Walker to use the name in exchange for Diageo becoming a global sponsor and committing to work with the organization to “promote exploration and discovery.”
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Tasting Notes: Johnnie Walker The Royal Route
Vital Stats: Blended Scotch sold in a one-liter version of Johnnie Walker’s classic square bottle. No age statement, but aged in oak casks and coming in at 40 percent alcohol by volume Only available at Duty Free stores for about $180 for a one-liter bottle.
Appearance: Golden amber, slighter lighter than average.
Nose: Wafts into the nose with aroma of a sweet, rich vanilla, but that very quickly shifts a fruity, floral smoky scent, dominated by sweet, mildly tart apples; ginger; cloves; allspice; and a touch of the salty air near the sea.
Palate: Falls onto the tongue like a smoky caramel syrup, rich and sweet but simultaneously subdued and earthy. Sitting on the palate for a moment, it very gradually begins to faintly tingle the tongue and grows stronger, developing a mild peat smoke flavor as time goes on. Upon swallowing, there’s a quick burst of tingles towards the rear roof of the mouth and then an abrupt shift to sweet caramel that coats the tongue, with occasional flares of tingles in the corners of the mouth that starkly contrast with the sweetness.
Final Thoughts & Score/Buy A Bottle:
Score: 86/100
A very interesting assortment of flavors that interact with one another in a unique way. I appreciate how the various phases of the nose and the palate fade into one another and at times interact with each other in very complementary ways.
However, while it’s a great whisky, I’m not sure I could justify spending $180.00 on a liter of The Royal Route when there are much more affordable whiskies with just as interesting of a flavor profile.
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