Introduction
I bought a 200ml bottle of JW Gold a while back to see what all of the fuss was about (people seem to rave over this particular expression relative to the more expensive JW Blue). I also have a 200ml bottle of JW Blue that I got from, of all people, a marketing firm representing Chivas Regal. I got it along with a 200ml Chivas 18 bottle just before Christmas, as did a bunch of other online bloggers and spirits writers. I find the Gold/Blue comparison much more interesting than Chivas 18/JW Blue, so that’s what I’m going to write about in this post.
Taste Comparison
Nose:
- JW Gold – Slightly medicinal, earthy peat, and some smoke. There is also some toffee sweetness and wood of the cedar block variety. There really seems to be a strong Talisker presence.
- JW Blue – There is peat and smoke, but it’s more subdued than with Gold. Then a really rich vanilla and dried red fruits. You really have to stick your nose in there and take a big whiff to get the most of it. There is also a really nice cinnamon/nutmeg presence.
- Comments – On first sniff, the Gold stands out, and would probably appeal more to the single malt aficionado. Though more subtle, the Blue is overall darker, richer and more complex. More luxurious, if you will.
Palate:
- JW Gold – Ugh…what happened? It’s totally flat, like a Talisker watered down to 15% abv. Nothing offensive, but pretty forgettable.
- JW Blue – Much thicker palate than the Gold, with a nice sweet peat flavor. There’s some white pepper that adds life to the party, but doesn’t overwhelm.
- Comments – Big win for J.W. Blue.
Finish:
- JW Gold – A nice burst of peaty smoke rushes up the back of the nostrils. On the tongue, however, it continues to be flat, leaving a grainy taste on the tongue that reminds me of a younger blend.
- JW Blue – More subtle hints of smoke in the nostrils, with hints of peat and toffee sticking to the tongue for a while. No graininess or anything off-putting.
- Comments – The Gold was off to a great start, but screamed blend on the tongue. Neither one of these stands out on the finish relative to a good single malt, but your occasional drinker friends will delight in proclaiming how smooth the JW Blue is.
Conclusion
The bottling code on my 200ml bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold starts with L4, which I understand to mean it was bottled in 2004. When I read reviews of J.W. Gold by Jim Murray, Paul Pacult, and by numerous single malt aficionados on message boards, I can’t help but wonder if something less than ideal happened to my bottle between the time it was produced and the time I bought it. I mean, it’s got a great nose, and the finish has its moments, but it’s otherwise so flat, I find it hard to believe it would get such raves. I like it just fine, and would probably give it a solid 84 points on my scale. It would need a much more memorable palate and finish to rate more highly.
Johnnie Walker Blue provides a thoroughly enjoyable blended whisky experience. Where as the Gold had me imagining I could taste specific distilleries…Talisker, Oban or Clynelish, etc., the Blue had me thinking of the actual flavors…smoke, berries, spices. It has been blended into its own flavor profile that hits on a lot of notes that I tend to favor. The nose is a bit reserved, but it rewards time and effort. There’s enough complexity to keep you interested for a while, and it’s super smooth. Just right for the occasional scotch drinker who wants to experience a luxury spirit. I’m going to rate it 88 points.
Is the J.W. Blue worth the $175 – $225 price that it typically commands? On taste alone, of course not. But that’s not the point. As a gift to impress somebody, the Blue Label should satisfy, with its distinctive packaging and prominent recognition (due to great marketing). I’d much rather drink Laphroaig 30 year, which was going for $200 to $250 a couple of years back, but will the occasional drinker appreciate that one as much? What about the fact that you’re going to have to sit there and explain to them why it’s a “special” whisky, and why it’s about the spirit inside, not the bottle/box it comes in? I don’t have any immediate plans to purchase a 750ml bottle of J.W. Blue, but I don’t have any issue with others doing so, and if I were to get this as a gift, I’d be very appreciative and enjoy drinking it. There’s definitely a place for a whisky like this, and I think it hits the mark for what they’re trying to accomplish.
Cheers, Jeff
So i am the only one who is awake ? 😉
anyways,Very good post. I agree with your bottom line. The blue is a good whisky, not excellent but good, yet if you are giving a bottle to impress, and to someone who doesnt know about single malts, he will be very pleased with this one, as it’s very presentable and ‘luxiorious’ looking, and not bad on the palate 🙂
i myself, would buy 3 amazing single malts for the price of this one.
but again, it’s hard to explain : daddy, this is a very special malt, it was hand crafted on islay and aged in warehouse No.1 for 25 years, etc.
again, good stuff Jeff.
Very nice post.
I tasted both few years back BEFORE I actually understood what I’m doing, as part of a taste of all JW (Thank you Heathrow whisky shop).
I do recall that I was not very impressed bu any of the JW I tried, and as a result I usually avoid JW alltogether.
Maybe I should give the Blue another go, now that I’ve read this post.
I also agree with you that JW marketing by Diageo is outstanding, but does not reflect the content of the glass.
Thanks for the post,
Shai
In my opinion, the best of the Johnnie Walker line up is the Green Label. Far out paces Blue. Just a thought if you are ever looking for post ideas . . .
Thanks Jason! I’m with you on the Green Label, and probably should have mentioned that one. JW Green is the whisky that piqued my interest in peat and led me to Talisker. Alas, I’ve finished off my bottle of Green, so couldn’t revisit it to compare directly to Gold and Blue yet.
Thanks,
Jeff
The JW Blue is a very nice whisky, but is it wrong to say that it’s almost too smooth? Friends have purchased this whisky and been kind enough to share it with me, and I have also attended two JW Journey of Taste “Blue” events, so it’s not like I haven’t given this whisky a fair chance. It just doesn’t have the personality of a Single Malt. Am I way off base?
G-LO
It’s certainly not wrong to say it’s “too smooth.” That’s the most common complaint I hear from single malt fans. In fact, that’s what I almost typed as one of the reasons I couldn’t rate this malt higher.
I refrained, and decided to take a different approach…pointing out that it’s this ultra-smoothness that would probably appeal to the “occasional whisky drinker”, who I think is more likely to end up with a bottle of JW Blue than a single malt aficionado.
Thanks for the comment, fellow Mistylook WordPress blogger!
We tasted the gold blind in our whisky world cup and were singularly unimpressed. Agree that the blue is nice but overpriced. Personally I always have a bottle of black in, great supping whisky 🙂
Tony, I totally agree with you on the JW Black! I can get a bottle for $25. I’ll take it over a Glenfiddich 12 any day. And I much prefer the JW Black profile to Chivas Regal.
Cheers,
Jeff
It’s nice to read so many posts that all make great sense (to me). I think I would trully enjoy drinking a dram (or 2 or 3) in your company.
To me JW blue is much like the picture perfect girl in the magazines. A few months after really getting into the fine pleasures of drinking whisky I discovered JW green and I have been in love ever since.
Right now I am sipping a Macallan Select Oak. Santé 🙂
Hi Gilles,
Thanks for the kind words!
You know…discovering JW Green was a big milestone for me, too. When I first tried it, I was struck by a couple of new scents/flavors that seemed odd at first, but then really appealed to me. It was the medicinal/peaty notes from the Island and Islay malts. This led me to Talisker, then Caol Ila, then the rest of the Islay single malts.
Cheers,
Jeff
I agree…JW Green is one of the best drams out there. If I were on a desert island and could only have 3 bottles, it would be macallan 18, JW Green, and probably Glenmorangie Nectar d’or
hey,
new to the site, big time scotch fan. my buddy is going over to scotland in a few weeks.
i was wondering if there are any scotches over there worth buying and bringing back that are not available over here in the us.
hope to hear some good suggestions!
thanks!
Hi Dave,
I’m not sure what all is involved in getting a whisky back on the plane if you buy it outside of the airport duty free shops, or if it’s easier to just ship them back. For whiskies that he might buy outside of the airport, distillery-only bottlings, purchased at the distilleries themselves would probably be high on my list.
You can also browse through the whiskies available at World of Whiskies in Heathrow Airport to get an idea of what’s available in the duty-free shops: http://www.worldofwhiskies.com/Scottish.php. A lot of the whiskies listed there as exclusive to travel retail are just standard expressions bottled at 1 liter instead of 700/750ml. I’d focus more on the truly exclusive expressions, such as Balvenie Golden Cask, any of the Highland Park Vintages, Laphroaig Triple Wood, Old Pulteney 23 Year, and Talisker 57 North.
Cheers,
Jeff
thanks for all the info jeff, i’ll definitely look into that. as far as customs, not a concern. being in the military has some benefits!
dave
So Dave, are you aircrew? Are you avoiding US Customs? Avoiding Customs is not a military benefit.
– Your law enforcement friend
Blue … ugh … yes it is smooth .. if you don’t mind the washed out (lack of ) flavor …
personally the Gold is my favorite with the Green being next … sorry but the black and red are not drinkable IMHO
I definitely want to try another bottle of Gold to see if there was an issue with my particular 200ml sample bottle. As for Green…there will always be room for that one in my cupboard. Great stuff!
I myself feel each persons palates are different by genetics, therefore I cant see how a critic can determine what is good and what is bad scotch. As the old saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” I feel the same for scotch! With that said, MY taste-buds truley adore JW Gold over Blue hands down.
I agree with you 100% that tasting whisky is pretty much a subjective experience. In fact, I’m a huge whisky enthusiast, and I can only think of 1 or 2 “critics” who claim to know what a “good” or “bad” scotch is. Most of the people out there doing “reviews” state something similarly to what I do…they’re sharing their personal opinion, and if they provide a score, it’s simply a personal score relative to other whiskies they’ve tried…NOT an attempt to provide an objective rating that would apply to other people.
Thanks for the comment!
I am drinking Gold at this very minute. A gift.
I agree with much of what the reviewers said. Thanks for taking the time.
I think Blue was designed specifically to be “the smoothest scotch in the world”. I won’t say they succeeded but it is all about smoothness.
For some people that matters most.
Gold is subtler but spicier, if also subtle in that direction. It is clearly intended to be enjoyed straight up as more than drop of water really dilutes it.
Yes, if you are used to drinking heavy duty single malts from the islands then these will all seem “watered down”. Part of the blenders art is balance and subtly. Peaty smoke monsters these are not.
Actually I prefer Green of all the Johnny Walkers. It is richer, peatier and maltier, but with a wisp of sea salt.
I am happy it is cheaper than the Gold and much cheaper than the Blue.
The malts used to create Green Label are Caol Ila, Linkwood, Cragganmore and Talisker. Other than Talisker, I like Green Label better than any of the other ones by themselves. But I am primarily a single malt drinker and I think the did a great job getting subtle touches of each malt..
I am happy to drink Black too when there is nothing better available. I suspect it has a fair amount of Cardhu in it and possibly Lochnagar, which is the main whisky in Blue Label.
Red was intended for mixing and has the youngest and most peppery flavor.
Thanks for the great comments, tspnyc!
You definitely seem to “get” the Blue Label and what they’re trying to accomplish. I agree that the Green Label is most interesting of the Johnnie Walker line, and the one that led me to Talisker, which I love.
Cheers,
Jeff
How about a 12 year Geln-off: Fiddich vs Livet…which is the best stand by? I personally prefer the Glenlivet, when it comes to regularly available singles, but I notice most officianados prefer Glenfiddich. I have yet to be convinced of it’s superiority yet.
I’m with you, Graham. I prefer the Glenlivet across the board over Glenfiddich in the under 21 range. The Glenfiddich 15 is a big step up from their 12 year, and I like it a lot. However, The Glenlivet trumps it with the combination of 15 Year French Oak Reserve (cheaper than ‘fiddich 15) and Nadurra 16 year (slightly more expensive).
Cheers,
Jeff
Keep in mind the Glenlivet Nadurra is the cheapest cask strength single malt whisky on the market so it is my choice for introducing beginners to the style. It’s definitely my favorite of the Glenlivet range.
Excellent! To celebrate a promotion, I just got a bottle of JW Gold. JW Double Black is my go-to whisky but the Gold was on sale. I’m enjoying but it but I’m slightly underwhelmed. I said many of the things you did: a little medicinal, bit flat on the palette, and the peat finish is enjoyable but short lived.
Oh well. JW is a lot like sex. Even when it isn’t the best, it’s still pretty damn good.
Newer Scotch afiocinado here. Been exploring blended and single malt Scotch’s for 2 yrs now. Got into Scotch, after Scotch tasting with my buddies dad in his wine cellar. 50+ Scotch’s, mostly single malts. Current favorites- Johnny Green for blended and Singleton for single malts. Just bought Johnny Gold yesterday and was surprised to find one ice cube seemed to overdilute it. Will try it neat tonight. Love the vanilla that lingers on the tongue after each sip of Green. Your thoughts?
Several of us middle class, white collar types blind tasted JW Blue, Gold, Green and Black. Gold came out as the favorite, no matter how many times we tried it…but what fun.
I’ve been drinking bourbon, rye, Canadian, then Irish, then Scotch as I’ve progressed into Whisky over the years – in that order. I love single malts, though I admit that the field is very wide, and I’ve not penetrated it deeply. But I love Clynelish, Aran and others – and it’s only after a few years exploring single malts that I’ve come begin testing out some blends (beyond occasionally drinking Johnnie Red or Black in college).
I buy a bottle of each whisky in order to get to know it. It takes some time for me to learn a Whisky. I bought a bottle of the green. I know how much people love it. I don’t. It tastes almost bitter to me – imbalanced. I actually prefer the double black.
And I love the blue – I think it’s subtle, complex and beautiful. But I also really love the gold. I think it’s less complex and subtle than the blue, but extremely drinkable, entirely pleasant and interesting enough. I don’t get a sense of raw grain – it doesn’t seem young to me at all. It’s one of the best blends I’ve tasted, and better, in my opinion, than many single malts.
I have been drinking JW Black for over 30 years. A few years ago I tried the Green and found it be even better to my taste. Last year I was given a bottle of Gold. I find it fuller and smoother than the Green. I am disappointed that JW has stopped producing the Green and the 18 year old Gold. I have not tried the new Gold or the Platinum.
Hi Jeff, thank you for sharing your experience! im still an apprentice in the scotch world but i was able to understand and agree with your rating and taste. Since my first bottle of green label i had noticed the quality of this blend and
its a shame that Diageo is no longer selling the green label here in the U.S. if possible id like all the goodfellas that appreciate this blend could leave some kind of appeal so we could have that little hope that Diageo would notice the big mistake they did by discontinuing this blend.
thank you!
Osco
I love Blue Label and I love single malts…. All these people who think the two are somehow mutually exclusive are silly malt snobs. Blue-Label is great whisky. It’s expensive because it’s got some bloody old single malts in it……If you can afford it, it’s worth it to experience the leathery old taste of really good old whisky, which in most instances people simply can’t afford to. So Blue-Label’s price is nothing surprising…. Weird how many people feel they have to do the ‘trendy’ thing and lay the boot into Blue Label. Think for yourselves guys……