We prefer to drink right here at Geek.com. It’s now not amount that matters, but high quality, and as such, we’ve held a few advantageous whisky tastings within the lab over time. everything from rare and distinctive single malts to blended bar staples like Johnnie Walker Black. And the world-popular scotch distillery tried to get artificial intelligence in on the delicate enjoyable by means of striking out a whisky tasting skill for Amazon Alexa.
sure, if you happen to in reality want to experience your scotch with the ability of technology, you could simply set up the skill for your Amazon Echo and say, “Alexa, open Johnnie Walker.” And the voice app will open and stroll you thru a primer to savoring effective whisky. at the least, that’s the pitch, and Johnnie Walker sent us bottles of crimson, Black, and green Label to take a look at it out.
Jack Daniels might have Gentleman Jack, however Johnnie Walker is the real thinker-king in my e book. observe to different ahead-pondering distilleries: It’s no longer too late to earn our admire, too. a pleasant 12- or 15-12 months and that you would be able to subscribe to the pantheon of virtuous whiskey makers that I simply made up. This includes Mr. Daniels, Mr. Beam, and Yamazaki-san.
Anyway, about Alexa and ingesting. We tried it out twice on two separate evenings. And failed, twice, on two separate evenings. This wasn’t as a result of we drank an excessive amount of formerly, however i’ve a sense Alexa would possibly have.
here’s the rundown: you say “Alexa, open Johnnie Walker” and the app opens. Alexa will then supply quite a few voice prompts, together with running a guided tasting. whilst you ask for a guided tasting, Alexa will then ask in case you have any Johnnie Walker, and which label it is. that is where the whole process hit a brick wall.
“Do you have a bottle of Johnnie Walker?’
“sure.”
“Which label?”
“green.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Which label?”
“green.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Which label?”
“inexperienced!”
“you have got chosen Johnnie Walker red Label.”
Like out of a sitcom. Yeah, Alexa was no help in our whisky tasting. the principle purpose is the simply, fundamental drawback of the use of voice assistants like Alexa in a bunch: Alexa isn’t one of the best listener. When more than one particular person is speaking at a time, Alexa tries to determine what no longer just you’re saying, but what everyone is pronouncing. which means what you’ll be dealing with a failure to communicate.
in fact, after I quieted the workforce sufficient to speak to Alexa, she nonetheless heard me say the mistaken label. The brilliance of expertise!
but what? We’re studied gentlefolk with refined palettes at Geek.com, so the failure of our Amazon Echo and the confused voice inside of it didn’t cease us from keeping a whisky tasting. So let’s talk about Johnnie Walker as an after-work refreshment.
Johnnie is available in varieties identified by different colored labels, which are arranged in a common hierarchy of value and high quality. Johnnie Walker pink is the elemental, entry-stage scotch, a simple blended selection with no particular age. Johnnie Walker Black is your next step up, the use of only 12-yr scotches in its blend. Johnnie Walker inexperienced is a 15-yr blend of specifically malted whiskies, giving it a unique test from the opposite sorts. Johnnie Walker Blue is the best of the “same old” blended whiskies, with Gold and Platinum labels also standing out as the more high-finish, dear, splurge-y sorts that Mr. Walker was not quiet cordial enough to supply us. No complaints here, on account that purple and Black are stalwarts who’re at all times welcome on my desk.
Let’s begin with Johnnie Walker crimson. It’s a perfectly serviceable scotch. It’s better than backside-shelf blended scotches you’ve never heard of, nevertheless it doesn’t have the type of physique or complexity important to in reality warrant a tasting. honestly, red is best possible used as a mixer. It’s a scotch you serve with cola or ginger ale for a very simple drink. Its flavor is just a little smoky and sharp, with a sweet, moderately citrus end.
Johnnie Walker Black is more refined, and in point of fact the start of a just right scotch tasting. It’s without problems available and inexpensive, but with a complex enough taste to make it a satisfying drink by itself. if you wish to guide your friends through a tasting, a pitcher of Black can assist kick issues off with a taste that’s value taking a couple of minutes in reality delving into before you turn towards costlier, nuanced scotches. It’s additionally improbable with black coffee. It’s smokier, smoother, and somewhat sweeter than crimson, with a deeper taste that incorporates notes of caramel and oak.
Johnnie Walker inexperienced is… troublesome. It’s a blend of 15-12 months scotches, however its flavor profile doesn’t have the depth and complexity that should include that age. That’s because it’s a blend of most effective malt whiskies, and the outcome is an awfully, very candy scotch. this is the sweetest whisky I’ve ever tasted outdoor of those cloyingly candy honey-infused bourbons from Jack Daniels and Evan Williams (which can be superb in hot toddies, as a minimum). because it’s so sweet, it’s very easy, which makes it a dangerously easy to drink whisky. I may imagine some excellent mixers that make use of it, but it surely doesn’t examine with Johnnie Walker Black as a “correct” scotch. It’s a unique, area of interest whisky, and that you would be able to have a look at it as a replacement for honey-infused bourbons if you wish to have an awfully sweet whisky as a building block for certain cocktails.
hanging technology unnecessarily into issues is a staple of what we do and what we like, however it hasn’t mixed neatly with scotch slightly but. Sorry Alexa, however we’re going to have to cut you off. And hog that delicious scotch all to ourselves.
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