Johnnie Walker Blue Label - yea or nay?

**Kazeryu** · 02-07-2012, 11:25 AM

We seem to have quite a few scotch drinkers around, so I'm curious to see what the gentlemen (or women) of B&B think of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. I recently found it at a much cheaper price ($200 CAD) than I normlly see it at, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger.

I've only had it out twice so far, and I am enjoying it quite a bit - but I'm still trying to make up my mind about whether I would ever buy it again.

For those of you who have tried it - what are your thoughts?

**dpm802** · 02-07-2012, 11:31 AM

I'm a member in good standing of The Striding Man Society ... JW Black is what I drink and that's ALL I drink ... except I kick it up a notch and drink Green during Thandsgiving ~ New Years, and I'm promising myself a bottle of Gold when I finally get my own house.

As for the Blue ... I'm turning 60 in July, 2014 and retiring from my job in August ... so that's when I'll get me some Blue. Currently $170 USD, plus tax. (The price has come down around here, also.)

**Luc** · 02-07-2012, 11:33 AM

Depends on what you like. I tried very hard to like scotch and I often skip some steps to get a higher/better drink to be sure that I get what is rated as "the best''.

I didn't like it. I found it to have too much peat but that's me as I do not like that type of taste. The Jamesons 21yo is a better drop IMO.

**MurphysLaw** · 02-07-2012, 12:25 PM

I enjoy it, and always have a bottle in my liquor cabinet. 2 at the moment thanks to a christmas gift from a buddy.

**ackvil** · 02-07-2012, 12:29 PM

For me it's just not worth the price. There are many single malts out there that beat the taste of the Blue. I knew a woman once who drank Blue - but mixed it with COKE!

She was one of those individuals who measured everything by the price tag.

**djh** · 02-07-2012, 01:42 PM

I have tried a couple of the JW blends but never the Blue. TBH- I certainly wouldn't buy it, but I would taste it if the opportunity arose. This evening was a small celebration here at home and I opened a bottle of 25yo Highland Park which I had received as a Christmas gift. Now that is whisky!

**jlanger** · 02-07-2012, 05:38 PM

I'm so bummed, I had the opportunity to try JW blue a few weekends ago, but I'd been drinking most of the night and I frankly was too drunk to really notice how good it was. I do remember that it was very smooth but my tastes were too affected by then. Luckily I'd been having a number of JW blacks so at least the night wasn't totally lost. At least I know a place now where it's $15 a glass (very reasonable IMO for what it is)

Currently Green is my favorite until I get a chance to try Blue again on its own. Green is nice smooth, smoky, and much more mellow then black. Haven't had a chance to try gold or the double black yet though.

**dpm802** · 02-09-2012, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by jlanger

I'm so bummed, I had the opportunity to try JW blue a few weekends ago, but I'd been drinking most of the night and I frankly was too drunk to really notice how good it was. I do remember that it was very smooth but my tastes were too affected by then. Luckily I'd been having a number of JW blacks so at least the night wasn't totally lost. At least I know a place now where it's $15 a glass (very reasonable IMO for what it is)

Currently Green is my favorite until I get a chance to try Blue again on its own. Green is nice smooth, smoky, and much more mellow then black. Haven't had a chance to try gold or the double black yet though.

I have found out the hard way never to mix different brands or blends during any one drinking session. I can't even drink JW Red and Black, or Black and Green together in the same night.

Like I said, I found this out THE HARD WAY ... you don't wanna know the details.

As for that Blue @ $15 ... go for it, that's a helluva price. But do so on an empty liver, so you can appreciate it in full.

**jlanger** · 02-11-2012, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by dpm802

I have found out the hard way never to mix different brands or blends during any one drinking session. I can't even drink JW Red and Black, or Black and Green together in the same night.

Like I said, I found this out THE HARD WAY ... you don't wanna know the details.

As for that Blue @ $15 ... go for it, that's a helluva price. But do so on an empty liver, so you can appreciate it in full.

I do plan on trying it again, probably the next time I'm up there, hopefully on an empty liver and after a very nice steak dinner;)

**tommyguns** · 02-07-2012, 05:48 PM

not sure if you travel or know anybody who will be but i went to mexico last year and at the duty free shop picked up a bottle for $65 usd to try it. the bottels are a little smaller but way cheaper. It was nice because i got to try blue and gold with out breaking the bank. might be something to keep in mind if you know anybody traveling or you plan on it in the near future

**Gruder** · 02-07-2012, 05:50 PM

I honestly prefer the green to the blue, and a good Laphroaig to any of em.

**Walter Sobchak** · 02-07-2012, 06:19 PM

My Vote: Not worth it at all --- unless you get a bottle duty free for <$100. It's good, but it's not the pinnacle of the scotch universe as ads and marketing would have you believe. Sure it has some very rare whiskies in the blend, but that doesn't necessarily make it kinder on the palate. It's like 'that' <insert noun here> brand that everyone with money buys because they hear it's the best, when afficionados generally agree there are better options at better price points. I have a full bottle that never gets opened because there are others [single malts] in my cabinet I'd rather drink.

All you Gents who give the nod to JW Green have nice taste. The Green is my favorite in the JW Line; my favorite of any blend.

Side Note:
I'm not a scotch snob, and I don't think there's anything wrong with blends. I don't drink them much as the natural evolution of scotch drinking brought me to enjoy single malts almost exclusively, but there are some very respectable and tasty blends out there. Blends are what keep a lot of our favorite single malt distillers open for business. Without master blenders ordering casks to add to their blends, operations like Cragganmore (this months DOTM) probably would have been out of business long ago.

**cb91710** · 02-07-2012, 06:37 PM

Too rich for my blood.

I don't have a really good sense of taste. I get impressions, and work textures and "bite" or smoothness more than direct flavor.
I can discern a lot of beers that I like/don't like, but that is mainly keyed from their bitterness (example, I don't like Heineken, I do like Guinness and other stouts)

So having said that, I don't know that I could tell the difference between JW Blue and Maker's Mark (and I know one is a Bourbon and the other is Scotch).
So no... I don't have enough disposable income to even consider actually purchasing ANY beverage more than $40-$50.

**rickcharles606** · 02-10-2012, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Walter Sobchak

My Vote: Not worth it at all --- unless you get a bottle duty free for <$100. It's good, but it's not the pinnacle of the scotch universe as ads and marketing would have you believe. Sure it has some very rare whiskies in the blend, but that doesn't necessarily make it kinder on the palate. It's like 'that' <insert noun here> brand that everyone with money buys because they hear it's the best, when afficionados generally agree there are better options at better price points. I have a full bottle that never gets opened because there are others [single malts] in my cabinet I'd rather drink.

All you Gents who give the nod to JW Green have nice taste. The Green is my favorite in the JW Line; my favorite of any blend.

Side Note:
I'm not a scotch snob, and I don't think there's anything wrong with blends. I don't drink them much as the natural evolution of scotch drinking brought me to enjoy single malts almost exclusively, but there are some very respectable and tasty blends out there. Blends are what keep a lot of our favorite single malt distillers open for business. Without master blenders ordering casks to add to their blends, operations like Cragganmore (this months DOTM) probably would have been out of business long ago.

This man just spoke gospel! I drink JW Green pretty much exclusively, and have had several bottles of JW Blue, and I still find myself coming back to JW Green. For the money, it's the best in the line. I do not believe the JW Blue is the pinnacle of blended scotch whiskey...it's good, but for the money, it just doesn't cut it.

**TheGuy** · 02-08-2012, 05:50 AM

I received a bottle as a wedding gift or else I would have never tried it. It's a nice scotch, but I don't feel it's good value for the money. It's well over $200 here in Ontario, I think it's as much as $260 normally.

I sampled a 21 year old Highland Park last week at the Summerhill LCBO (they have a great tasting room) it was also very nice, but it's $289 a bottle so I most likely won't ever have a bottle of that at home either. :)

**BigRich** · 02-08-2012, 06:21 AM

I think it's fine dram that I'll never snub my nose at if offered but I think it's very overpriced.

**Angry__Panda** · 02-08-2012, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by BigRich

I think it's fine dram that I'll never snub my nose at if offered but I think it's very overpriced.

I meant to include that I agree with this. I think Johnnie Walker is unfortunately a brand that can mark up their offerings due to their name (at least in the US). So to conclude my opinions I would say that there are better offerings for the same price due to the fact you are spending your money on the Scotch and not some name.

**Angry__Panda** · 02-08-2012, 06:44 AM

Blue is what I used to drink. I didn't venture out and taste many oth scotches. Now that I have been trying a lot more, there are much better options for scotch. Balvenie is one of those. They have a 20 or 21 year that I would definitely buy over the blue. I also bought some Japanese single malt that is more interesting but just as oaky as the Blue Label. I got some Lagavulin(SP?) 16 year that is probably my favorite is have tried recently. Balvenie also makes a 15 year that is the second best I have had so far and it is only 66 a bottle.

Peso in my opinion...Worth tasting at some point in your life? Yes. Worth buying? If you have 200 dollars to drop and are super feeling the need to try Blue Label instead of the better options then yes, but most likely no.

**Samurai-5** · 02-08-2012, 07:45 AM

Although it is quite good, I prefer the Gold Label. ;)

**xraygun** · 02-08-2012, 09:04 AM

The Gold is a superior blend. Even the boys from JW will sort of admit it if you corner them. The Blue is rarer, but does a bottom dial really shave better than a fatboy?

Had a bottle of Gold for the Holidays. Wish I could pour that all the time.

Reminds me, I'm out of Black.

Oh, by the way, Double Black, ehhh. Seems like the guys in marketing came up with that one.