JW Black Label

[mrt]

If you have ever tried, what's your opinion about Johnnie Walker Black Label?

I've bought a bottle yesterday and tried for the first time. It's far more better than the standard blends I had tried before-icluding JW Red, J&B Rare, etc., in compliance with the "deluxe" claim on the bottle and the maturation period of 12 years. However, bourbon continues to be my choice. What do you think?

PS: BTW, I posted a poll about JW Black Label on the Whiskey Magazine forum-you know there are mostly Scotch fans there. I'll compare the opinions of the two sides of Atlantic.

[DrinkyBanjo]

It's good stuff, not great. I'd use it as a really good mixer.

[Nebraska]

Last year I purchased a gift sampler for sampling by my poker group. It contained JW red, black, gold and blue.

The Blue was the clear winner, very very good stuff.

The Gold over all would have been everybody's pick when considering taste, price, etc.

The Black was ok, but no where near the Gold or Blue in terms of taste.

The red is the red.

I'm not really a blended scotch whiskey drinker, but the gold would be my choice out of those four.

[bluesbassdad]

There must be a more enjoyable blended scotch than JW Black Label, but I haven't had the opportunity to taste it yet. Because of the high prices for scotch as compared to bourbon, I probably never will.

I have a small bottle of the Gold Label open; I like the Black Label better. The Gold is delicate by comparison, not a quality likely to endear it to me.

Here are some comments from long ago.

One

Two

Three

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[CrispyCritter]

I'd consider JWB to be a good, solid Scotch blend - but for about the same price I could get Compass Box Asyla, which wins hands-down for me.

I haven't tried the Red, Gold, or Blue versions.

The best blend I've had was Campbeltown Loch 25yo, sadly now extinct. I have one last bottle in my bunker, and I greatly regret not buying more when I had the opportunity. You snooze, you lose...

[TimmyBoston]

Don't care for the red or the black at all, but the Gold is very good. The Blue is tasty, but nowhere near worth the price.

[smokinjoe]

I find the JW Black to be very enjoyable on the what has become few times I opt for scotch. A few years back I was invited to a tasting that JW Black hosted at a trendy spot in Atlanta. Started off with some single's Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, and one other I can't remember. Then a tasting of the Black. Received a 350 bottle and some other stuff too. It was very well done, and enforced my admiration for the brand. But, I just don't drink much scotch these days for some reason...

JOE

[DrinkyBanjo]

The thing I like about JW Black is that you can get it almost anywhere. I had it a couple of weeks ago at my sisters wedding and it wasn't bad at all. It has strong Islay flavors without being to 'extreme' as you might get from the Single Malts of the region.

I however, like the extreme singles from Islay so I would rather drink them when available.

[cowdery]

I don't drink much scotch, but I like JW black.

[TNbourbon]

JW Black is the one of the Johnnie Walkers I'd buy most often if I bought blended Scotch often. It's easily better than the red, and much cheaper than either the gold (very good) and blue (over-rated, I think, and thus overpriced).

[ratcheer]

I also don't drink much scotch and I also really like JW Black. It is not the best scotch I ever tasted, but it is very good.

Tim

[robbyvirus]

I also don't drink much scotch and I also really like JW Black. It is not the best scotch I ever tasted, but it is very good.

Tim

Same here. I rarely drink scotch, but I've always thought JW black was pretty good. But then again, it ain't bourbon!

[Bamber]

I've had the blue, gold, black, green (ok it is pure malt) and red.

Apart from the red, which is pretty average, they're all about the same for me. I'm not a big fan of blends, but I will drink JWB on occasion.

I've actually got friends and family to taste the JW whiskies blind and generally the order is:

Gold

Black

=Blue, Green

[OscarV]

I for one would never refuse a Johnnie Walker Black.

JWB was the first whisky that I liked.

Before JWB, there was Seagrams Canadian, I could drink it with 7-Up but soda-pop gets old fast.

I think the scotch ads in Playboy magazine influenced me when I was young, they always showed it on the rocks, and it looked so good.

I don't remember any bourbon ads, but they always had those classic Jack Daniels ads. Those ads were better than the product.

[Dramiel McHinson]

JW! I must admit I'm a little conflicted when it comes to blended scotch. JW black is a good choice for taste if you like a little smooth smokey-peatey in your daily dram. I don't think its up to the price unless you get it at discount. My preference would be to go with an Islay single malt. An Islay single malt in the same price range as JW Black would be an unfair comparison with the single malt winning hands down for me. Still, JW Black has its place on the shelf and if you really like it and you think the price fair then by all means enjoy it.

[AVB]

JW Black is claimed to be largest selling "premium" blend in the world. It does hold it's own against most but if you really want something superior at close to the same price, go and find some BlacK Bottle 10. (if you like Islay whisky that is)

[emr454]

I can say that the 200mL bottle of JW Black was probably the worst $10 I've ever spent. The nose is very medicinal, for lack of a better word. Mixed with ice and water, it doesnt taste too bad, as long as you dont swallow it. The finish is way too reminiscent of Chloraseptic sore throat spray. I tried to get myself to enjoy it but I've given up now. I will probably never buy any Johnnie Walker products again, or any more blended scotch for that matter.

Now single-malts, on the other had arent bad, although The Glenlivet 12 is the only SMS I've ever had, but it was head and shoulders above JWB.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, but it just aint my thing.

Eric

[CrispyCritter]

Now single-malts, on the other had arent bad, although The Glenlivet 12 is the only SMS I've ever had, but it was head and shoulders above JWB.

My guess, then, is that you wouldn't like peated single malts like Talisker (from Skye), Laphroaig, Ardbeg, or Lagavulin (from Islay), or Highland Park (from Orkney). JWB allegedly contains some Talisker in the blend, for instance, and I've certainly noted a bit of peat when I've tasted it.

When the malt is dried over burning peat, the smoke finds its way into the finished whisky - and this often gives it a bit of a medicinal character.

(FYI, I love both peated and unpeated single malts!)

Glenlivet is a classic Speyside single malt - little or no peat, and at least some of it is aged in sherry casks. Others in that vein would include Aberlour, Glenrothes, and Macallan; note that Macallan "Fine Oak" is aged only in bourbon barrels.

As for blended Scotches, a favorite of mine is Compass Box Asyla. It is definitely not JWB!

[emr454]

So the medicinal taste in JWB is also referred to as peat? I guess if I want to try any more blends, or SMS for that matter, I'll look for one without a strong peat presence.

Not trying to hijack this thread, but I was told by the liquor store clerk that McClellands Highland single malt was a good beginner scotch. Locally its only about $18 for a 750mL bottle. Any thoughts or comments on this one?

Eric

[ratcheer]

It is my recollection that the predominant flavoring whisky in JWB is Cardhu. I also seem to recall that the SMS purists decry the fact that JW uses up so much of the precious Cardhu for blending stock and releases so little of it as single malt. It is supposed to be a great whisky.

Tim

[Frodo]

I've tried JW Black and although it's not to my taste, I see why people would like it. Cardhu I've tried and was underwelmed...

[cowdery]

Back when I was a scotch drinker, in my childhood, it was mostly cheap blends (Usher's, Passport, Scoresby), so when I had me some JW Black, I realized that blended scotch could be so much more. I still prefer it to all of the other majors.

I think it's ridiculous, as some people do, to compare single malts and blends, and declare singles superior. They're simply two different kinds of whiskey and should be judged on their own terms.

When you think about it, the U.S. has blends, but not any really top shelf ones, and the Canadians don't make any "straights." The Scots, Irish and Japanese make both fine blends and fine singles. Good for them.

If you must compare single malts to blends, compare a cheap single malt to a first rate blend and see if you still think singles are inherently superior.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I can't vote. It has been an awfully long time since I had the JWB. I remember liking it, but not liking its price point. It is cheaper now, I think. Every time I see it on the shelf, frequently that is, I think about buying it. So far I haven't but I think I should get a bottle. Probably next time I see it...

Ed

[Gillman]

I haven't had it in a long time either, so I won't comment on that expression. Recently I did have some Red label, it was a Christmas gift since normally I would buy other things (not necessarily more expensive, just different, e.g., I bought a reputed blend called Gordon Highlanders I am very pleased with).

I found the Red Label very good, it had a good round taste and the malts, while certainly not well-aged (I'd guess most were 8-10 years old) were balanced, fruity, lightly smoky.

Gary

[cowdery]

Funny, but I've never bought a bottle of JWB, yet I always seem to have one around. I've received it as a gift and have rescued bottles from non-drinking friends, who themselves received it as a gift, which is how I obtained the bottle in my possession now.