Question about Johnnie Walker

Hey Folks,

My uncle is coming to town for a few weeks and my folks have tasked me with purchasing a bottle of Johnnie Walker for him (his preferred drink).

As far as I know, he usually drinks black or red, but I'm not entirely sure that is by choice- i wouldn't be surprised if he's never really had an opportunity to upgrade to the gold or green (forget blue because I'm not in a position to buy that either, haha)

Any opinions about the gold or green? Are they worth the extra $$$?

I have no problem upgrading, just wanted to see if you guys would think he would enjoy it.

Yes. I believe both the green and gold are worth it. If you can swing it, I say go for the gold.

The other Bob will be along shortly to confirm this statement.

I agree with Bob.

BUT: If your uncle is of the age I assume he is, and the disposition to task you with procuring his "preferred drink," be certain he's not particular to the Black Label. I actually know a couple guys who choose the Black over the Green over the Gold, price and supposed quality notwithstanding. There is a difference in taste, and it's not unheard of that certain gents might actually prefer the "lower end."

Unless he wants Black specifically, I'd say go up to Green at least. It's hard to justify the jump to Gold sometimes, with how tasty Green can be.

Heck, where I come from Black Label IS the upgrade ...

West Pennsyltucky I presume????.....

If you can swing it, IMO the Gold is worth it, but skip the Green and stay far, far away from the Blue, nowhere near worth the money.

But Pat makes an excellent point, JW varies a lot by bottling and often messing with someone's preferred drink is not wise.

Hey Folks,

Thanks for the insight- I am Indian American and my uncle is coming from India. For all of you that don't know...for whatever reason Johnnie Walker is all they drink over there... or atleast it seems like that.

My distinct impression is that he's never tried any of the higher end ones... I don't know what their availability is like over there...but judging by the fact that he lives in Gujarat (where liquor might be "prohibited") I would guess Black/Red is probably the most regularly available descent quality scotch... so that's why he drinks it...

I'm having my mom ask him- but if I can find a bottle of Gold- that's the one he'll be sipping... Hope he enjoys the indulgence.

I'd stick with the black, best of the collours as far as i'm concerned

mace

rickshah said:

Thanks for the insight- I am Indian American and my uncle is coming from India. For all of you that don't know...for whatever reason Johnnie Walker is all they drink over there... or atleast it seems like that.

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The prices there are mind boggling due to tariffs on imported spirits. I think (don't quote me on this) that a bottle of Johnnie Black runs about $80.

I am sure whatever you choose your uncle will appreciate the thoughtfullness.

+1 on the Gold Label. Also agree that Blue is not worth the extra $.

JB

+1 Gold

Some folks prefer the Red over the other. To me it all tastes about the same.
Ken
Who might as well drink Scorsby's

The prices there are mind boggling due to tariffs on imported spirits. I think (don't quote me on this) that a bottle of Johnnie Black runs about $80.

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That might change soon

Vijay Mallya, buyer of Whyte & Mackay, is fasting so he celebrated with a marketing meeting. Rory Ross profiles the man dubbed the Branson of Bangalore.

Dr Vijay Mallya, India’s most charismatic billionaire hailed the King of Good Times, celebrated the success of his £595m bid for Whyte & Mackay Scotch whisky group in uncharacteristically low-key fashion....

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The Whyte & Mackay deal puts Mallya in an interesting position. Scotch is “liquid gold” in India, but heftily tariffed. To protect his Indian whisky portfolio, Mallya has staunchly opposed efforts by the Scotch Whisky Association to abolish the tariffs. Now, he finds himself in both camps .

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mace

Doc4 said:

Heck, where I come from Black Label IS the upgrade ...

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+1 Green is good, but worth it when compared? Meh.

Personally, unless you know he wants to try something new (and special), I wouldn't mess with a mans preferred drink. You can get JW Black at Costco (in Costco sized containers) cheaply. Do that and have youself a party

That being said, the others are definitely different. I happen to like Black as it is so it's hard to say if it's "worth" it or not. They're all _definitely_ worth experiencing. Maybe a small bottle of each?

mace said:

That might change soon

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It will be interesting to see what ends up happening. People speculate that Vijay will try to find a loophole where distilleries owned by a India based company will be lumped in with India based producers. This way he can avoid the tariffs on his own imports (W&M, Dalmore, Jura) He is a very influential man with Parliament, so if anyone could do it, he can.

I love whisky, but I have my favourite Islay whiskies that are my staples. Johnny Walker is pretty big in Spain and my wife's family always have bottles on hand. For what it's worth it is her father's favourite whisky but he just mixes them with warm, flat coke.

I have tried the blue label, and while it's a good whisky, I wouldn't buy it. I think the gold and the green are nice, but since they aren't really my style I would be hard pressed to say they're worth it.

Of course I just wrote two paragraphs and didn't really answer the question. I guess if the flavour profile is what you like, I'd look at the price difference. It most likely is "better" in the sense that it will be more "Johnny Walker-ish" and just decide based on your wallet. At some point—definitely by the blue label in my opinion—you will hit the law of diminishing returns.

I would skip the green, I was disappointed by it. Gold is nice, Blue is priced more for the hype than the taste. It's been a while (many years) since I've had Red or Black, in the Red price range I generally don't go for scotch, and the Black price range there are several others that I prefer. From what I remember the Black is good though, so in summary, go Black or Gold.

boboakalfb said:

If you can swing it, I say go for the gold.

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Definitely

boboakalfb said:

The other Bob will be along shortly to confirm this statement.

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Believe it or not, sometimes I have to work.

Initially, let me reiterate the above stated sentiments. If your uncle's drink is Johnnie Black, then get him his favorite scotch. There is nothing a guest love's more than knowing you went out of your way to make them happy.

With that being said:

Johnnie Red - The powerful combination boasts spicy, smoky malts (Talisker) and lingering lighter grains. Robust qualities. This perfect "everyday" scotch is perfect for mixing with a little soda.

Johnnie Black - Its distinctive character stems from its use of a remarkably diverse range of 12-year old malts, drawn from over 700 casks. One whisky in particular, Cardhu, was considered so vital that the Walker family bought the distillery in 1893 so that its characteristic silkiness would lie at the heart of the blend. Other notes include vivid tastes of peat, tobacco leaf, malt, and ripe apple.

Johnnie Green - Quite rare up until recently, this scotch's flavors are well-integrated. The drinker will find creamy toffee and nougat at its core, which is then layered with notes of vanilla, mint, fresh brine. Some may even taste a hint of mustard seed. Excitingly fresh and vibrant on the finish. A scotch for both the blend and single malt drinker.


JohnnieGold - (My Favorite) - A tad more upscale, this particular blend boasts a smoky, caramel and vanilla aroma and a creamy, honeyed taste. This supremely scotch finishes with a light and lingering spiciness. It's unique character comes from an alchemical blending of 15 whiskeys, each aged at least 18 years, at the heart of which is Clynelish, the rare Highland malt whisky made from spring water that flows over veins of pure gold. (I like to put in the freezer and then drink it neat. The nectar of the Gods. )

Johnnie Blue - This high end scotch is considered to be the distiller's highest end spirit and is the oldest and rarest of Scotland’s whiskeys. It's well-balanced with a long finish, deep smokiness and creaminess on the palate with traces of smoke, honey, rose petals and hints of toffee. (It is a wonderful scotch that is just overpriced. Holidays and special occasions are reserved for this scotch.)

Scotch drinkers vary like grains of sand on the beach. It is not a given that a person who drinks Red will automatically find Blue the end all be all of blended scotch.

I tried a taste test with friends of all of the aforementioned scotches. No one guessed all of them correctly.

The only one I guessed right... that's right. Or else this post would have been written by JohnnieGreen.

BTW, the Clynelish Single Malt is outstanding as well. Reasonable too at less than $40 per 750ml.