The Jak and Daxter series is one of my favorite series of all time. It was practically revolutionary in the action platformer genre. Having huge open worlds with no loading screens in each game was a huge achievement, especially for being on the PS2 hardware. The story and characters are great and lots of fun, and the gameplay is challenging (sometimes infuriating, like many platformers). It is a series that I can come back to again and again, thoroughly enjoying every time.
The same can be said about the scotch we are pairing for this series. Since this is a series I wanted to use a blended scotch and my current favorite go to for blended scotches is Monkey Shoulder. It is a great blend made with single malts from three Speyside distilleries so you get great fruity notes and some sweetness that isn\’t overpowering the other flavors. Just like Jak and Daxter this is a wonderful blend that you can keep coming back to again and again.
Nose:
-Game: The Jak and Daxter series spans a wide variety of environments, from jungles and volcanoes in the Precursor Legacy, to the densely populated Haven City of Jak 2, to the wide open deserts of Jak 3. All of these huge open world maps are seamless with very few loading screens, which was a big deal back in the early days on the PS2! Each of these worlds is filled with story missions, races, button mashing challenges, and above all else, collectibles. Hidden throughout the world are tons of precursor orbs and (in the case of the first game) power cells. These keep you wanting to explore the worlds and complete as many challenges as you can in order to earn more.
-Scotch:
Sweet vanilla notes matching up with fruity notes are dominant. There is a crisp aroma with no usual hints of oak from a whiskey, just nice and well balanced. The nose for this scotch is indicative of the connection with this series: well rounded and balanced with a nice variety of flavors that match the variety of settings in Jak and Daxter. It\’s an inviting aroma that draws you into the scotch just as the environments of this series invite you to explore them.
Palate:
-Game:
This variety in environments is reflective of the variety of plot types in the series. The first game is a coming of age adventure tale, the second revolves around deception and a rebellion overthrowing the corrupt leadership, and the third has a prophetic hero/world saving story. Each of them is filled with memorable and often odd characters that keep you engaged with the story. The actual story of each game has its merits and draw backs with some notable plot holes arising in the second installment, but given the whole experience they do not hold back the enjoyment of the game. The gameplay of the first game focuses around primarily platforming, melee combat, and some clever use of eco power-ups. The second and third games implement more of a focus on the run and gun shooting mechanics but still maintaining a good deal of fun platforming.
-Scotch: Those same notes from the nose of the scotch are delivered in the palate with vanilla coming forward, fruity notes with emphasis on banana. Well rounded flavors that pull from some of the best scotch flavors and some mild peatiness. It really has a little bit of everything, much like the gameplay of Jak & Daxter, pulling from a variety of inspirations and blending them together for a great package.
Finish:
-Game: Overall Jak and Daxter is a series that will give you hours of entertainment with platforming, shooting, racing, and much more. The story is solid with some plot holes, but none that diminish the overall experience of the games. Its easy to see why these games were impactful open world titles that contained almost no loading screens and fun, engaging gameplay. Always considered a classic, this is a game series you can continue to come back to time and again, and I highly recommend downloading this classic PS2 series that I think serves as a nice introduction into gaming.
-Scotch: This scotch leaves a nice finish with the aftertaste of bananas and vanilla. Monkey Shoulder is a great blend to keep in your cabinet and is one that you can easily recommend to people because it is just so well rounded and not as harsh as some more bold single malts can be. That\’s why this matches up well with Jak and Daxter, it is an easy to drink scotch that serves as a easy first step into the wider world of scotches.
Story Mode Scotch 