Comparing 5 Johnnie Walker Scotch Expressions

[@ravishankarbhatt5090]

They are good if you are getting into whisky or you don't dig too much into the subtleness of finer points of whisky. To become a Johninie Walker fan you have to try their Green Label, which is a 15 years old expression and doesn't have any grain whisky in it. Definitely you should try JW Green Label and its worth the price and also is slightly higher ABV at 43% makes it tastier. Blue is a let down especially at the atrocious price point of 250 +.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks Ravi! I was actually trying to get a bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label for this review, but they are hard to find around me. I was even willing to spend the money on a 750ml bottle, but even Total Wine was out of stock. The higher ABV is a good shout. Cheers!

[@naveen.narain]

Best comparison I've seen on KZbin. I have tasted all these blends except for the 18 years, and I agree with your description. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thank you for watching and commenting, Naveen! You're very kind as well. Cheers!

[@kevinruble6858]

My favorite out of that bunch is double black. 18 year is good but I remember liking the platinum better. Only time I have the blue is in kits like yours and I'm in total agreement with you, it's good but not $200 good. Too bad the green isn't in there, I find that to be my favorite.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Green Label is a rare beast around me. Cheers!

[@stby_outdoors]

This is such a cool channel to me cause I just got into learning about whiskey and have played guitar for nearly 10 years

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks for sharing, Blaine! Let me know if you have any questions about whisky. As for guitar playing, if you've been serious about it for a decade, you're probably ahead of me. Cheers!

[@lightplays2181]

Good review Kevin.J.W. makes good whisky .Is my favorite Green label 15 and 18 Ultimat .Cheers )

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks. I wanted to try the Green Label, but it was even out of stock at Total Wine. Cheers!

[@cammward7353]

I got given a bottle of the black and it seems to just sit on my shelf whilst my scotches get slowly emptied. It's not terrible but it's more of a mixing spirit over something I can enjoy neat. Really enjoyed the review :D

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks, Camm! That's a spot on comment: JW isn't bad, just not as enjoyable as my other expressions. Cheers!

[@TheWRYYYYYYY]

JW Green Label's very nice, a bit stronger than the others at 43% ABV and it's a blended malt. It's got a more subtle smokiness/peatiness to it than Black, nothing too complex, just very pleasant. Too bad these tasting sets aren't available where I live, I would really like to have a taste of Blue and Double Black.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Support for the 15 Year Green Label is strong in the comments. ;) I did try to buy it for this review, but could not find a bottle in stock anywhere around San Francisco. This tasting set was only in stock at one location. Cheers!

[@BushvelderAttire]

I have to say brother. JW is my fav whisky brand. I mostly buy JW red because I love to mix and it's fairly cheap. My go to is JW black because it has a good balance. I recently got a JW green as a present and I have to say, it's a very clean tasting whisky. My favourite from the range has to be the 18 year, but the green is a very tight second. I got a small JW blue when I bought the 18 year and for me personally, a very big let down. I would suggest going to a bar and pay for a glass if you want to experience the blue and not buy the whole bottle. Personally the JW DB is too smoky for my taste.

[@fturla___156]

If I drink scotch it's usually Johnny Walker Black Label. The Red Label is too harsh compared to the same bottle from 3 or more decades ago. Most people agree with you that both the Johnnie Walker Blue and Black are the varieties that taste the most similar. If you truly want to have a smooth premium taste, I do recommend the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare varieties where some of these are priced in the same range as the regular Johnnie Walker Blue bottles. My preference is usually the regular Johnnie Walker Black, but if you want to go upscale the Gold and 18 year old are very good for scotch.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

I think the Black and Red label expressions are priced well, but the Blue and Rare ones are very overpriced. Once a blended Scotch breaches a certain price point, I'm more inclined to spend my money on a Single Malt Scotch. Do you have any whisky brands that you enjoy outside of the JW lineup?

[@fturla___156]

@@WhiskyRiffs I've been experimenting with diluted neat pours and unconventional mixes. But I like Smoke Wagon and Redwood Empire (30 to 50 dollars). Standard Jameson for Irish Coffee and Chivas Regal on ice are casual drinks for 25 bucks. Searching for Compass Box and Budweiser Magnum whiskey. I usually drink Wild Turkey 101 and Buffalo Trace since they are about 22 dollars. I always try to get whiskey on sale or bulk discount, so, Rare Breed $46 (Walmart) and JW 18 $80 (Smiths), or Bookers $80 (Alberton's) are good buying opportunities if you want those bottles. Kroger grocery is selling Jack Daniel's Frank Sinatra bottles for about $80 too if you want it.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks for the tip. I’m not in the US much anymore (@findingGinaMarie), so Kroger is a thing of my past. Cheers!

[@ascajc]

For me, Johnnie Walker is good to mix on cocktails. The Black Label makes for a great Whisky Sour, and the 18 years is good for an Old Fashioned with a twist (although and expensive one, since the bottle cost upwards of $100 dls). The Blue Label is obviously too expensive to mix in cocktails, and in my opinion is not a bad whisky, but not worth the price. Save for the 18 and the Blue Label, I would not drink any of the other JW expressions neat, since I find the same metallic taste that you described. Do you think the metallic taste comes from the large facilities they use to bottle the whisky? Great video as always!

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks for all your feedback! I think the mixture of 40% ABV or grain whisky or high production column stills can cause that metallic taste. I tend to find it in the low-end Irish grain expressions more than Scotch. I haven't tried an Old Fashioned made with a peated whisky, but I'd lean towards and Ardbeg 10 as an experiment. Cheers!

[@ascajc]

@@WhiskyRiffs Thank you for your response. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

[@bitbrace]

I got this for Christmas, did a tasting but added the Green too, for me Green is the best out of them I could drink it anytime. Very disappointed in the Blue for the price, so glad I didn't get a full bottle of it.

[@mpyle27]

Hey Kevin. Been looking forward to this one. Keep 'em coming.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks, Mark! Are you a JW drinker?

[@mpyle27]

@@WhiskyRiffs I am. Big fan of JW, especially the metallic one. LOL!! But hey, I enjoyed your take. It's not for everyone. Cheers! Have a good weekend.

[@kevinhoctor62]

@@mpyle27 😂 Everyone has their favorite flavors. I had a boss that couldn't understand why I liked Laphroaig 10 so much, "You're drinking medicine!" Enjoy your weekend as well, Mark. Cheers!

[@dgunnut6550]

Great video! I also usually drink single malt, but I had a chance to drink a dram of the Johnny Walker Green Label this weekend and I liked it. Not amazing, but a pretty good dram.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Everyone talks about the Green Label - the one expression I could not buy in San Francisco. 😂 Cheers!

[@liquorcamp]

Great review! Have not tried the double black sounds like it’s on the list for a try some day,

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks! For an 80 proof expression, the price to flavor ratio of the Double Black was the top for me.

[@BoffoDennis]

Thank You for doing a blended review! I’ve had Famous Grouse, but that was years ago in college. I remember my friends ended up mixing with Sprite… ah youth.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

In college, I was a vodka fan. Mainly because Screwdrivers and other vodka drinks were often two for a buck. Cheers!

[@dennisrudloff2071]

Thanks, but wish we had your comments on JW red label. Had a couple on the flight to/from Scotland..my wife, never had a scotch before but enjoyed it with a couple of ice cubes. BTW, on your next trip stop in to the JW superstore in Edinburg. Amazing collection of product from Diago.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Hi Dennis, the JW Red Label is their lowest end blend. At less than $20 for a 750ml bottle, it's not going to give much flavor. I'd recommend a bottle of Naked Malt Blended Scotch over the JW lineup for someone who doesn't enjoy intense Scotch flavors (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWGYnY2ZqtCGoM0). Cheers!

[@michaelb1761]

Nice reviews. I was surprised to see the price of the double black. I bought a double black a few years ago when I first tried scotch. I enjoyed it, especially at $27, but I haven't bought any since, as I preferred Laphroiag 10 and have continued to explore other whiskeys. Maybe whiskey is much cheaper in Northern California.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks, Michael. Whisky prices vary so much across the US, not to mention Europe. It's all about the distribution. But I much prefer a peated single malt, like Laphroaig, than a blend like the Double Black. Check out the Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10, if you want a lovely smoky dram. Cheers!

[@michaelb1761]

@@WhiskyRiffs I have tried the Port Charlotte Heavily Peated. While nice, I prefer Uigeadail at that price point, and I still like Laphroaig 10 as the best value. For a non-peated scotch, I do really like Bruichladdich's classic laddie. Blew me away the first time I tasted it.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

@@michaelb1761 I'm glad you found some favorites. I always try to have both the Uigeadail and Classic Laddie in my cabinet. Both are excellent. Cheers!

[@jameshynes5273]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@WhiskyRiffs]

You're welcome! I'm glad my video helped. Cheers!

[@groberti]

Is the metallic note from young grain whiskies that are blended into it next to the malts? I usually get that as well on similar blended scotches. When I did not know about single malts I thought whiskey should taste like that, like metal. One of the reasons I did not like it back in the days 😅

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Whisky shouldn't taste like metal - or no whisky that I want to drink at least. I typically get that metallic taste from cheaper Irish grain whisky at 40% ABV that isn't distilled in pot stills. I rarely find that note when the ABV is 46% or higher, so that my play a big part in the taste.

[@groberti]

@@WhiskyRiffs Yes :/ One Irish whisky I usually taste a light metallic note in is Jameson without ice. With ice Jameson actually gets better, creamier and not as hot 😅I guess it is not meant as a neat pour :)

[@kevinmarapana]

hello! what would you suggest to replace the Blue lable in that price range? and also i would like to know the cheapest smoothest one as for a beginner. Thank you!

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks for watching and asking! I have a video about beginner expressions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3iUlq2DqNybnck. Let me know if that helps. Cheers!

[@love4cric]

Hello Kevin! Ya that's correct, I didn't find anything special about JW, I tried even the GreenLabel but it wasn't worth it! Not particularly great whiskeys these. Great review.Thanks

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks, Ajay! I was at a restaurant in Sausalito yesterday and it was over $45 for a neat JW Blue. Insane!!! I appreciate your comments on the Green. Cheers!

[@brunovangasse2137]

Hey Kevin, did you try the green label? It's a blend of only four single malts (Talisker, Caol Ila, Linkwood and Cragganmore). Maybe this one will be more to your liking, I didn't find that metallic aftertaste here at the time. I paid around 45 to 50 Euro for it here in Belgium, so it didn't break the bank. I think it's a great starter for people who want to get into peated whisk(e)y. I liked it, but it's not one of my favorites. As I said, a great starter.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Hi, Bruno! Nope, but not for lack of trying. I couldn't find a bottle of Green Label anywhere in my normal whisky spots. Maybe on my next trip to Europe, I'll hunt down a dram… oh, wait. Now Total Wine has it for $48. Maybe I'll pick up a bottle and give it a try. Cheers!

[@whiskyandsports2964]

JW actually isn’t a bad starter whisky for people exploring just to see if they like whisky, I consider anything in that 40%-43% range a starter whisky (I don’t care how long it’s aged, it’s boring) and we all know plenty of distilleries from Speyside and the highlands that gouge their poor customers to death with those low abv whiskies, this JW sample pack is a much better option.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

I usually direct people who are new to Scotch to try Monkey Shoulder. It's $25 around SF and 43% ABV. But I agree that too many big brands squeeze every dollar out of customers with low ABV. Two other great blends are from Compass Box: Spice Tree and Peat Monster. Both around 46% ABV and $58. Cheers!

[@whiskyandsports2964]

@@WhiskyRiffs I love Peat Monster

[@jonraymondmoll570]

I don't think people who regularly buy JW bottles subscribe to channels like these. And I think they far outnumber people who do like these channels. And make good money for JW. I'm from manila Philippines and can't get my next door neighbors to drink a Laphroaig over a double black even if I offer the bottle for free. They just keep reaching out for the double black. And they've been drinking whisky for twice as long as I have. Maybe even thrice. I heard from friends that it's the same in China. And that's a much bigger market for JW. JW is a humble reminder that not everyone can appreciate the same values. And that those that do, though increasing through the internet, are still not enough to sustain a decades old empire.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks for sharing, Jon. It's all what you're used to, right? When I only knew bourbons, I thought Maker's Mark was top notch and Woodford Reserve was a higher end offering. I knew nothing about Single Malt Scotch expressions. If I didn't hang out with so many Brits, I might never has fell in love with single malts. Cheers!

[@Judah98]

I'll drink J.W. if nothing else is available, but not my first choice.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Apparently, the Green Label 15 Year is supposed to be the best of the bunch. Too bad I couldn't get it for this review.

[@johnmcelwain5884]

Good try. Happy you only got sample bottles and not waste it for someone who likes it. Nice review.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

Thanks, John. Sample bottles have helped me a ton over the years - especially when I'm not certain about an expression. Cheers!

[@ericamiles2641]

I’ve had a few JW and they all fell short of expectation. Especially the blue at that price.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

"Fell short of expectations" is a good description for me too. I had hoped for more from the Blue. Cheers!

[@mistermalt3234]

Thanks for the efforts, Kevin. I'm a Scotch Single Malt lover, too. If I drink Johnny Walker, then with ice and coke, but not neat. Cheers mate.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

If I still drank Coke (I used to consume way too much of it), I'd try JW that way too. Cheers!

[@DileepB]

Blue is available for under $200 in many stores (Totalwine, Costco) in Bay Area. Lowest I have seen is $169.99 in Monterey Costco. 40% ABV at that price is not worth it to me.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

You're correct. I see it for $170 at Total Wine. For this video, I did want to keep all the prices from the same shop though. But I'm with you that it's still not worth that amount at 40% ABV. Cheers!

[@DileepB]

@@WhiskyRiffs You might want to post Bay Area Totalwine prices, instead of your local wine shop.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

@@DileepB I often quote Total Wine prices, but they couldn't sell me the Johnnie Walker sample pack. The Whisky Shop SF had everything I needed. Their prices aren't always more expensive than Total Wine, and often lower. The Whisky Shop also has a bigger variety of hard to find Scotch expressions, which is another reason I buy from them. For this video, I wanted to keep the prices all from the same store.

[@DileepB]

@@WhiskyRiffs I was talking about the full bottle prices that you mentioned.

[@PaulArockiam]

you should try blue as they described in the bottle and give us your comments :-)

[@WhiskyRiffs]

The JW Blue is so expensive for what it offers to me that I can't justify it. But if a bottle appears and a bit spills into a glass, I'm not against a quick review. ;) Cheers!

[@PaulArockiam]

@@WhiskyRiffs Why do you not sip a cold water before you taste whisky which is what mostly I see as recommended (I am just new to Whiskey, so pls excuse if this question seems ignorant).

[@WhiskyRiffs]

It's not an ignorant question at all. Cold water isn't a good idea to drink before whisky or wine, the temperature will lower the ability to taste the expressions. If you chill whisky (or wine) you will taste less of it. That can be helpful if you want to reduce the intensity of whisky, which is why it's common to drink it with ice. I do drink room temperature water to clear my palette when I'm tasting whisky, but I don't often include that in the videos. I have shown water when I'm doing large tastings like the wrap up of my Advent calendars in the past. Let me know if this helps. Cheers!

[@PaulArockiam]

@@WhiskyRiffs It helps, thanks for replying :-) Cheers!

[@ADSCP]

The blue is a robbery. The only JW I stand is the green wich is a blended malt.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

The Green Label was on my list to review with this sampler, but I could not find it. It was out of stock at every shop I checked in San Francisco.

[@ADSCP]

@@WhiskyRiffs people know it’s the JW they can trust

[@WhiskyRiffs]

@@ADSCP And now I know too. Cheers!

[@lodgelawyer]

You have a much more finely tuned palate than I. I've been gifted about five bottles of the Blue, and regifted three of them: needn't waste that kind of largesse on the unappreciative. I find the limitations of finish you describe from the initial taste. In my view, overpriced and overrated. With respect to the lower price points, I don't think the metallic finish is a market concern: I'm willing to bet that the vast bulk of the production is drunk over enough ice to dull the most objectionable aftertaste. Having said that, I've frequently used the Black as a default "ok, there's nothing worthwhile here to drink neat" at bars where the rest of the selection is limited to Dewer's and it's buddies. In the future times in such extremis, I'll look for the Double Black, which I haven't seen outside of the shops that have far more enticing product.

[@WhiskyRiffs]

I'm not sure my palate is finely tuned, but I definitely have flavor profiles that I enjoy. And since whisky is like food, we all have ones that simply taste great for each of us. I do hate to see people waste $170 or more on a bottle of whisky that's only 80 proof. Especially when I can get buy a Bruichladdich Classic Laddie for $55 or a Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated Scotch for $67 - both at 50% ABV with natural color! I've had to settle for limited whisky choices in bars too. Normally I can at least get a single malt or a bourbon that I like. Cheers!