Johnnie Walker – Blue Label

Name: Johnnie Walker – Blue Label

Color: Medium Brown

Nose: Peat, smoke and perfume esq flavors

Taste: Medium bodied feeling with well balance smoke, peat and spices

I used to live in South Florida and when I was driving to Miami for work I would pass a billboard on I-95 for Blue Label that read, “Not everyone makes it to Blue”. To me, that it sounded a lot like “Fuck you. You can’t afford this.” Blue Label is a well-marketed brand by Diageo that is very recognizable to people and equates its self to the good life. I believe if you like it, drink it, but for me, I struggle to like this whisky based on the price and taste. Please do not get me wrong, it is very good whisky but not good enough for me with respect to the price and I can afford to buy it. In my opinion there are easily a dozen whisky’s that I would prefer to Blue Label that cost less and are better suited to my palate. Blue is a blend, with no age statement, and which particular whisky it is blended with and their ages is very debatable. I could rant for a while on this one but instead I will close with this last comment. If you are a Wall Street type person (translation: you got a lot of money), you should know this whisky, order it at a bar, have it in your office, home, apartment, penthouse, Hampton Estate and give it as a gift to clients and co-workers.

Price ranges from $190 to $225.

Note: See Johnnie Walker 4 Pack Review for a smaller taste of Blue.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisJohnnie Walker – Blue Label
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Johnnie Walker-Gold Label aka Gold Reserve

Name: Johnnie Walker – Gold

Color: Light gold

Nose: Honey, flowers, spice

Taste: Toffee candy taste with light flowers. Alcohol taste very reserved and does not over power the balance of flavors.

Review:

A blend of 15 malts and aged 15 or 18 years, Gold Label might be listed as No Aged Statement whisky depending on the bottle you find in the store and how long it has been on the shelf. I like to think of Gold as the cost savings version of Blue Label but the taste between the two is different. I bought a bottle for my mentor for his birthday and we enjoyed it well enough but it is not my style and not at a price that I would spend for the flavor.

Price ranges from $90 to $100.

Note: See Johnnie Walker 4 Pack Review for a smaller taste of Gold.

If you like it, drink it!

 

ChrisJohnnie Walker-Gold Label aka Gold Reserve
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Johnnie Walker – Double Black Label

Name: Johnnie Walker – Double Black Label

Color: Caramel brown

Nose: Strong oak, cinnamon and almonds

Taste: Peaty and smoky with a similarity to an Islay Whisky.

Review:

The 12 year old blend Johnnie Walker Double Black is a more full bodied peat and wood whisky than its cousin Black Label. One cousin is from Islay Highlands (double) and the other is the from the Lowlands (black) of Scotland. They are related to each other but have been raised (distilled) differently in order to provide a separation in flavor profile. Personally, I prefer Double Black and enjoy it on the rocks. I would not state that Double Black is of a higher quality than Black Label but I will let you be the judge. It would make a good gift to someone who drinks Black Label but I would err on the side of caution with buying this for someone if you are not sure if they like peat/wood flavor in their whisky. I would also consider Double Black to be a good introduction bottle to Islay styled whisky’s which have a very distinct flavor.

Double Black Label price ranges from $40 to $45 but is a great value at that price.

If you like it, drink it!

 

ChrisJohnnie Walker – Double Black Label
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