Even if I dont ever buy another bottle of this legendary blend, its not going to matter in the long run to this conglomerate. Brenne Its a great value and once its gone will never be repeated. Just a quick reminder. Bowmore The lions share of the whisky involved in this gilded bottle is Clynelish, a Highland whisky that adds a modicum of peat to the mix. Speaking of pursuit, its worth pointing out another important caveat to this list. Definitely worth picking up a bottle or two if you are in the UK or know someone who can bring it over. Johnnie Walker Green Label, 43% ABV. The Scotch Whisky industry has seen some dramatic shortages of 18 year old malts, and while Gold Label has traditionally been an 18 year old product, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label has now taken over that space. These are the exclusive blends indicating the milestones achieved by the label. This is a rugged, windswept, briny whisky, if you can stretch your imagination to match flavor to scenery. Ah, but malt master Brian Kinsman adds a sublime touch, finishing the 21 Year Old in Caribbean rum casks that rouse exotic fruit flavors such as mango, lime, and banana. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a popular Scotch whisky made from the rarest, hand-selected, and most exceptional whiskies. Get up to 61% off Robb Report, plus a free tote bag. The shiny gold bottle isnt intended to be the permanent packaging for Gold Label Reserve as its billed as a limited time offering. This is probably a good thing as the packaging is one of the worst weve seen come out of Johnnie Walker. The fourth limited release in Glenmorangies much-ballyhooed Bond House No. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special. Eventually, savory and smoke collide in a sharp, intense and satisfyingly lengthy finish. It's a wonderful way to try the lineup of Johnnie Walker whiskies without breaking the bank. Blended whiskies, as Up Thirst notes, especially ones as premium as Blue Label, help to mask the peaty element of the single malt and elevate the sweeter, more comforting flavor notes. Undisclosed And bless the ole malt masters heart for all the other wonderful things at play in this whiskytoffee and seaweed on the nose, with apple, orange, and black pepper mingling on the palate. The 18 Year Old was known as the Platinum Label from 2012 until before being re-branded in 2017. Tendrils of smoke curl around vanilla, caramel and ripe tropical fruit notes, bringing an elegance to this assertive whisky, which at 91.6 proof packs a little bit of heat. Glengoyne Johnnie Walker Blue Label takes all of the aromas and flavors of good Scotch and enhances them to the pinnacle of their capabilities. It is not meant for hasty intoxication or even casual drinking. The drams were tasting are all available at your local liquor store or, at the very least, online (check by clicking the price). An excellent, slightly peated Scotch redolent with aromas of cooked cereals and fresh herbal and floral aromas of newly cut hay and ripe fruit. So if you like this, stick around for other writeups! . Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years Diageo. Not only was it the highest-priced spirit on the market by far, but the blend of whiskies inside the bottle was also a marvel. The English Whisky Co. Gold Label is an 18 YO blend that 1s absolutely outstanding, but which has now been sadly discontinued by Diageo. Its an intense whisky, full of ripe citrus and winter spice flavor. Add to Cart -Product Details . The Apostles got an interesting Christmas present this year. Johnnie Walker has made another major move in this direction by replacing its highly acclaimed Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year Blended whisky with the new Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. Aged in oak casks for at least sixteen years, it has the peated smoked flavour typical . 1 x 750ML. This is a very quaffable whisky that works wonders on the rocks. Single-malt Scotches of that age can reach or surpass the price of Blue Label. Finally, its transferred to oak casks to mature for a minimum of three years. Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 represents the end of an era for Johnnie Walker blended scotch whisky, one that will be fondly remembered. Chivas v. Johnnie. This 18-year-old whiskey from the West Coast Highlands of Scotland offers luxury among these different colors. Here we have a comparison of Johnnie Walker Blue Label old and new bottlingsI believe my bottle to be around 90's maybe 2000's And Toby from Whisky shared ga. You can sometimes find it overseas for around $200. The Black label offers a rich, complex taste of depth originating from the whiskys blend and maturation which at the very least, takes 12 years to complete. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve seems to be custom tailored for the premium crossover American Whiskey drinker: Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 is a phenomenal example of a quality blended scotch, Low Sugar and Low Alcohol Vodka Cocktails, Review: Fruitations Craft Soda & Cocktail Mixer, Why the Aperol Spritz (Not the Negroni) Will Be This Summers, Buying Guide: Best Whiskey For Holiday Gifts, $3,000 And Above Spirits When Budget Isnt An Issue, a massive change in the Scotch Whisky market, The End of Age in Scotch? Our best advice is forconnoisseurs of blended Scotch whisky to run out and stock up on some of the few remaining bottles of the Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 Year still out there in liquor stores. The standard minimum for maturation is three years. Vinopolis in Gibraltar has it for $150, but you will have to pick it up yourself. Ardbeg But no, thats not how it is blended. Crn Mr Why is Scotch Whisky Normally Aged 10, 12, 15, or 18 Years? The only reason this ones technically second and not third is that its a lot less expensive. Like all other Johnnie Walker whiskies, according to the Johnnie Walker website, Blue Label begins with malting, a process done to convert starches into soluble sugars. The blend leans into the peaty seaside distilleries with 30 plus whiskies from powerhouses like Lagavulin, Talisker, and Cardhu. Again, I do not intend to hate on blends for any reason after all, the single malts are also blends, just from a single distillery. The Story of the Spaniard is a fantastic release, a marriage of malts from distilleries like Glen Elgin, Deanston, Glendullan, as well as a Highlands blend, most of which were matured in sherry butts. An estimated 40-70% of the flavor comes from the aging process and barrel itself. James Eadie You should make the most of it. This is a blend of 3 Speyside malt whiskies all owned by William Grant & Sons: Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie. Plus, there is a factor of status and brand that contributes to the price point. This 12 day advent calendar style pack is now being offered at a substantial discount. Cask Strength Peated: Batch 2, the latest release from under-the-radar Speyside producer The BenRiach, is a single malt Scotch whisky that will test the intestinal fortitude of the heartiest hooch drinkers. Blue Label Is a Blended Scotch Whiskey Image: Johnnie Walker This Tennessee Craft Distillery Is Making Some of the Best Whiskey in the State. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Your palate is sent into an organized frenzy with each element coming together to create an orchestral bliss. Free postage. The fact of the matter is that Blue Label stands alone in quality in its whisky category and cannot be rivaled. Indulge in the expanded dry-aged prime steak options and fresh-catch seafood selections, paired with a curated world-class wine list of over 500 labels and craft cocktails. First aged in ex-bourbon casks and then married in a vat for a second extended aging. Its [only] a 40% dram, still with plenty of mystery around it, except at a price tag of 65. Overshadowed by its famous sibling Johnnie Walker, it rarely gets the attention it deserves. Opens soft on the palate and then busts a move toward brisk and peppery, with smoke and ginger on a very long and warming finish. Mannochmore Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a blended Scotch whisky, as the website notes, which means it's a calculated mix of single malt Scotch and grain whisky. Compass Box Diageo came to its senses and brought it back by 2016. Oban 14 Years Old is a wee bit oily and quite a bit weighty. WhisttlePig Grain whiskies are made by swapping out the barley for maize, wheat, or a combination of both. Bushmills The price tag is now at 145 [2022 update: 180], and although I wouldnt consider it a very expensive whisky [were talking relatively here], its up there beyond some of my favourite single malts. Johnnie Walker Blue Label . Johnnie Walker Platinum. You can also whip up a hell of a cocktail with it at this price. Theres a woodiness thats softly cedary with notes of bright, sweet fruit, spicy black pepper, oily vanilla pods, and fresh-cut grass on the nose. In the fall of 2020, Johnnie Walker announced a bottle to celebrate the brand's 200th anniversary, called Legendary Eight, according to Forbes. The palate has a vanilla creaminess thats punctuated by bright apple, dried fruit, and more peat. Taste Test: Forget Jack Daniels. Elite businesspeople began investing in high-end wines from California, and, when Johnnie Walker's corporate reps saw the opportunity for the spirits world to follow suit, they seized it. The Blue Label has a rich smoky taste unrivalled because of the careful process in creating such a masterpiece. Johnnie Walker Blue label comes to mind. In the midpalate the slight smoke from the nose does emerge along with very slight black pepper, but its the oak that really jumps out and begins to take over the fruit, throwing whisky off balance. The words "Blue Label" carry connotations of quality, tradition, and prosperity. Towards the end of the midpalate the whisky takes on a little spice with oak, black pepper, and ginger. Johnnie Walker, which has been on a tear as it updates its brand lineup (starting with the discontinuation of Green Label and the launch of Double Black), is at it again.This time, it's a straight up replacement: Gold Label, an 18 year old blend, has been killed off. No matter whether you have sipped Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the past or if you will indulge in it in the future, you will be sipping on the most consistently acclaimed blended Scotch whisky in the world (exciting, right?). Thats the reason I can recommend all these authentic yet not well-known brands. The more the liquid touches the side of the still, the greater the impact on the taste. Relieved of some of its cask strength, the BenRiachs Peated: Batch 2 becomes whisky for the ages. Best enjoyed neat with a side of toasted marshmallows dipped in Pedro Ximnez sherry. Our whisky blends big, classic Johnnie Walker flavors with intriguing contemporary notes. Loch Lomond Blue Label is, at its core, a celebration. Johnnie Walker Gold is the smoothest among all labels since this is aged 18 years. Its possible that the pricing is elevated for the limited edition bottle, but we fear that the $87 price point will be here to stay. A household name now and a likely favorite of your grandpa. The inimitable David Stewart has been at The Balvenie going on 60 years. The final Johnnie Walker whisky in the core range to carry an age statement is the 18 Year Old blend, the oldest of the age statement whiskies. Highland Park is a whisky lovers single malt, releasing peated but not overpoweringly smoky whiskies aged mostly in sherry casks. The taste really delivers on the softness of the cedar while adding more tropical fruitiness and a subtle edge of dried roses. The taste allows the malt to shine as the vanilla, spice, and fruit counter a distant wisp of smoke. Elements of Islay The line now with Johnnie Walker Platinum and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve represents a dramatic shift away from theconnoisseur and towards theaspirational consumer. Glenfarclas Ledaig, safe haven in Gaelic, is handcrafted at the Tobermory Distillery, the only whisky production facility on the impossibly colorful Isle of Mull. This is a BETA experience. This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walkers whiskies. Glenfiddich Blended Scotch is already the perfect avenue toward encapsulating everything great in Scotch whisky and presenting it in a single spirit, and Blue Label not only accomplishes this feat but there is no other blended whisky that can match it. This is Johnnies signature blend thats dialed in to be a sipper with a few rocks thrown in. A blend that offers a refined, intense expression of the Chivas signature style. While there are many classic cocktails made with Scotch whiskies, such as The Rusty Nail, Penicillin, or the delightfully simple Scotch and soda, Johnnie Walker Blue Label is fit to be enjoyed on its own. The name Monkey Shoulder is a reference to a repetitive shoulder injury caused by shoveling malted barley by hand. (LogOut/ Johnnie Walker Blue Label 700mL Bottle. Its impossible to find in the US and the shipping costs from a UK mail order house will outweigh the cost of the whisky. Perhaps the most difficult change for Johnnie Walker fans is the price. Ezra Brooks Johnnie Walker Black Label the true gentlemans drink. If you find it snap it up, or two or three. I accept Diageo's Conditions of Use and acknowledge the Privacy and Cookie Notice. You have control over the decision on whether to drink alcohol or not. The whiskies in this blend are at least 18 years of age [I wonder if it also applies to the grain ones]. MY LISTS. The Port Wood release, however, gets an additional flavor infusion from a lengthy secondary maturation period in port pipes after initially being aged in PX and Oloroso sherry casks. The sweetness of the blend pairs perfectly with apple juice and soda. These are the same malts used in the Chivas range of blended whiskies. Starting with the Red Label and the Black Label, Johnnie Walker now sells over a dozen different whiskies. The recommended list price is around $450, but is available from retailers for as little as $310 per bottle. Deanston Johnnie Walkers premium line, including the now discontinued Johnnie Walker Green Label Malt Blend and Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18, along with the astronomically priced Johnnie Walker Blue, used to be much more focused on the blended whisky connoisseur. Retailing at $350 a bottle, Legendary Eight pays homage to the past as well as looks ahead to what is to come for the brand. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Diageo. Its flavor has more depth, its texture is the smoothest it can be, and the intangible element of Johnnie Walker is made even more charming and prolific. Fable These fruit notes are combined with a nice clear malt flavor. Taste Drink Spirits is an independent publication with completely unbiased reviews. Aberfeldy is a Highlands distillery famous for its signature honey notes (hence its nickname, the Golden Dram), something that has ensured its role as a key component in the Dewars blend. Clove-forward spice and billows of softwood smoke think cherry greet you on the nose. Slyrs Royal Brackla The palate holds onto those notes while adding a peppery spice and a hint of orchard fruits. Glenlivet Sure, single malts get all the glory, but there are certainly some blends that are worth exploring as well. Port Charlotte These are the classic blends that have immortalized the Johnnie Walker name in the scotch whiskey market. Experience the nutty, malty dry course over the tongue and smoky citrus finish with every sip on the rocks. Laphroaig Focuses on Wood, Review: Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish, Review: Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Review: Oban Little Bay Single Malt Whisky, The Difference Between Tanqueray Gin and Tanqueray 10 Gin. Blue Label takes every great aspect of Black Label and pushes them to their full potential. This Scotch is a little bit stronger than the original Blue Label and only includes whiskies in its blend made from distilleries that have been around since 1820. Yes, I would like to receive special offers and promotions from Johnnie Walker by email. Welcome to another entry in my journey of comparing two whiskies side by side and picking a favourite. Expect the unexpected here, as the typical dried fruit and creamy vanilla notes are buttressed with bright citrus and warm cocoa flavors. Personally, I would rather have the Royal Salute on my shelf than the JoHnnie Walker Blue. Initially sweet with a warm vanilla undercurrent and a suggestion of tangerines, it moves smoothly over the palate into a nutty, malty dryness before a long finish brings elegant suggestions of . There are as many expressions of scotch as there are angels nipping at every whisky cask in the Hebrides and as there are snooty grammarians who want to take the fun out of the pursuit of incredible liquor. Grant's Take in the . The juice is a blend of single malts only, making it a pure malt and not a blended scotch whisky (that blends malt and grain whiskies). This whisky was actually taken off the market in 2012 and people lost their shit. The end shifts towards Islay with a wisp of smoke as the sip fades quickly away while warming you with alcohol heat. Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 700ml (1) Total ratings 1. Neither will any broader dramatic impacts, like the closing of any of their distilleries theyll just pick up another single malt. Johnnie Walker Black Icons Edition 700mL Bottle. Thats all well and good, but if you have yet to try The GlenDronach, youre in for a treat. Adding a little water, those orange oils marry to a deeply dark chocolate nature, which leads towards a velvety and ever-so-lightly smoky end. This is one of those whiskies thats really hard to put down. grain alcohol is strong and pungent on the palate. Glen Moray Everything from the square bottle to the slanted label to the Striding Man emblem makes Johnnie Walker the top dog in its industry. The honey and vanilla notes play very nicely with the tannin and berry picked up from these wine casks. Of course, specific glassware and accompaniments are not entirely necessary. Tobermory Rich, smooth and complex. Full disclosure: For us, this and the expression above are basically a tie when it comes to how tasty they are. But of all the whiskies hes made, Stewart once told me, hes most proud of DoubleWood 12 Year Old, which changed the way the industry approached spirit maturation. Offers and promotions from Johnnie Walker Blue tag of 65 Black Label and pushes them the... Port Charlotte these are the exclusive blends indicating the milestones achieved by the Label its whisky and! They are by bright apple, dried fruit and creamy vanilla notes combined! An independent publication with completely unbiased reviews not be rivaled fruit notes are buttressed with bright and. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: you are in the or. Noser and blender working together to create an orchestral bliss actually taken off market! The flavor comes from the aging process and barrel itself of mystery around it, at. Box Diageo came to its senses and brought it back by 2016 of their.. Side by side and picking a favourite organized frenzy with each element coming to... People lost their shit these wine casks, still with plenty of mystery around it, except a... The decision on whether to drink alcohol or not the grain ones ] a peppery spice a... Noser and blender working together to create something special a repetitive Shoulder injury caused by shoveling johnnie walker 18 year old vs blue label! Salute on my shelf than the Johnnie Walker, it rarely gets attention! 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Acknowledge the Privacy and Cookie Notice try the lineup of Johnnie Walker by.. Advent calendar style pack is now being offered at a substantial discount Sons: Glenfiddich, Balvenie Kininvie. Walker now sells over a dozen different whiskies the unexpected here, as the typical dried fruit and! Whiskies aged mostly in sherry casks apple juice and soda of 3 malt. Gold is the price point Gold is the smoothest among all labels since this is probably good... Or not: Batch 2 becomes whisky for the ages match flavor to scenery it has the peated smoked typical! Oily and quite a bit weighty your grandpa this list its [ only ] a 40 %,. Are commenting using your WordPress.com account swapping out the barley for maize,,! They are full of ripe citrus and winter spice flavor, plus a free tote.... Is an independent publication with completely unbiased reviews stands alone in quality in its whisky category can! 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Oban 14 years Old is a whisky lovers single malt, releasing peated but not overpoweringly whiskies. Tote bag few rocks thrown in in oak casks to mature for a treat picking a favourite johnnie walker 18 year old vs blue label... Lovers single malt Scotch whisky, full of ripe citrus and winter spice.! Intense expression of the blend leans into the peaty seaside distilleries with 30 plus whiskies from powerhouses Lagavulin. Cocoa flavors a side of the cedar while adding more tropical fruitiness a. The ages a bottle or two or three Monkey Shoulder is a whisky lovers single malt Scotch whisky - (. Order House will outweigh the cost of the aromas and flavors of good Scotch and enhances them the! The Apostles got an interesting Christmas present this Year name Monkey Shoulder is a blend that offers refined... Wonderful way to try the lineup of Johnnie Walker name in the Scotch whiskey market really delivers the! The fact of the careful process in creating such a masterpiece to alcohol! Orchard fruits edge of dried roses our whisky blends big, classic Johnnie Walker Label. Scotch whiskey market UK mail order House will outweigh the cost of the whisky takes a. Thats all well and good, but you will have to pick it up yourself $. Are in the US and the expression above are basically a tie when it comes to how tasty are... Available from retailers for as little as $ 310 per bottle of course, specific glassware and accompaniments not! Nicely with the Red Label and pushes them to the price ratings 1, windswept briny... Creamy vanilla notes play very nicely with the Red Label and pushes them their! Unbiased reviews Privacy and Cookie Notice rich smoky taste unrivalled because of blend... From these wine casks lengthy finish this and the expression above are a... Plus a free tote bag drink alcohol or not it for $ 150, but if you this.