Johnnie Walker is the best-selling whisky on the planet. To say that it’s ubiquitous almost feels like an understatement. Still, as with all whisk(e)y brands, Johnnie Walker isn’t a monolith. Hell, it’s not even a monolith of “blended Scotch whisky” when you look at the current expressions that the brand has available. There’s a lot of Johnnie Walker out there and a lot of it is amazing, is my point. On the other hand… some of it is not so great.
I’m here to help you figure out which Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch is the right one for you. The beauty of this brand is that there is a lot of variation in their expressions, meaning that there’s a good chance that there is a perfect Johnnie Walker vibe for you out there.
Before we dive in, Johnnie Walker is blended Scotch whisky and blended malt whisky. Yes, these are two different varieties of Scotch. “Blended Scotch whisky” is made with a blend of grain whisky and malt whisky from different distilleries in Scotland. “Blended malt whisky” is made with single malt whisky from different distilleries across Scotland. While single malt whisky is made with 100% malted barley, grain whisky is made with malted barley mixed with wheat, rye, and sometimes corn.
That can make blended Scotch whisky and blended malt whisky two very different beasts. Giving Johnnie Walker a lot of room to play with flavors. Okay, now that we have the homework out of the way, let’s dive in a rank every current mainstream and limited edition bottle on shelves (in the U.S.) right now.
- The 100 Best Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
- The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2023 (So Far), Ranked
- The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This May
- The Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2023, According To The International Wine & Spirits Competition Awards
- The Full Core Line Of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky Bottles, Ranked
18. Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $20
The Whisky:
Johnnie Walker’s entry point expression is also the best-selling scotch expression on the planet. The whisky is a blend of single grain and single malt whiskies from Diageo’s deep stable of distilleries around Scotland that’s specifically designed to be mixed and not taken straight.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose reminds you more of a sweet and citrusy Speyside or Highland whisky.
Palate: The palate holds onto those notes while adding a peppery spice and a hint of orchard fruits.
Finish: The end shifts towards Islay with a wisp of smoke as the sip fades quickly away while warming you with alcohol heat.
Bottom Line:
This whisky was devised as a mixer for highballs (not even cocktails). That means that this is built to be mixed with fizzy sodas like Coke, Sprite, ginger ale, and any other soda pop or juice.
And even then… I’d skip this one. It’s harsh and very light.
17. Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $33
The Whisky:
The classic Black Label is a blend of over 40 grain and single malt whiskies from three dozen distilleries in the Diageo stable, including powerhouses like Talisker and Lagavulin. The throughline is that all of the whiskies are at least 12 years old when married into this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus meets spicy Christmas cake and a bit of powdery white pepper on the nose.
Palate: Those wintery spices carry on through the taste as creamy maltiness, caramel sweetness, and dry herbs bounce on your tongue.
Finish: The oak comes in late with a dose of peaty smoke that’s cut by an orange zest flourish on the quick end.
Bottom Line:
So back in the day, this was the Johnnie Walker that was built for on the rocks sipping. Today, the expression is positioned as a classic highball whisky. That means that this is made to be mixed with bubbly water with a bold garnish (think orange wedge, cucumber slice, dried lavender sprig, a sprig of rosemary — they all work). And I’d argue this works perfectly well for that, as long as you have a lot of good ice and really good mineral water with a big fizz.
16. Johnnie Blonde Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $24
The Whisky:
This is a newer expression from the brand that also leans into mixing. The blend of wheat and single malt whiskies is aged in American oak barrels, which gives the final blend a much sweeter profile that’s specifically tuned to American whiskey palates.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet toffee candy leads the way on the nose with a counterpoint of bright red berries, soft vanilla, and a hint of oakiness.
Palate: That vanilla leads the way on the palate with more sweet toffee next to dried apple chips and a very mild winter spice malted cookie vibe.
Finish: The finish is pretty short (it’s a mixer after all) and leans into the malted spice and sweet toffee/vanilla with a hint more of the bright berry sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is another perfectly fine highball whisky. It’s a little lighter than Black Label, so you won’t have to go as hard on the fizzy water.
15. Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Whisky:
This is Johnnie Walker Black that’s been re-casked in deeply charred oak barrels for a final maturation, making this a classic double-cask whisky. The idea is to maximize that peat and amp up the Islay and Island whiskies’ smokiness.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Clove-forward spice and billows of softwood smoke — think cherry and apple trees — greet you on the nose.
Palate: The palate has a vanilla creaminess that’s punctuated by bright apples, dried fruit, and more peat that leans more towards an old beach campfire than a chimney stack.
Finish: The spice kicks back in late, warming things up as the smoke carries through the end with a nice dose of oakiness, fruitiness, and sweet vanilla creaminess.
Bottom Line:
This is getting into decent on the rocks pours that also still works wonders in a subtle highball with a nice, herbal garnish.
14. Johnnie Walker High Rye Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $37
The Whisky:
The blend of this new-ish Walker blend is 40% single malts from Diageo’s stable of distilleries — particularly Cardhu, Glenkinchie, and Caol Ila — and 60% Scottish rye whisky aged in American oak. Those whiskies are vatted, proofed down, and bottled with a look toward the American whiskey palate.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose feels like the best of both worlds as a twinge of rye spiciness mingles with sweet smoky notes cut with orchard fruit and a hint of vanilla.
Palate: The fruit drives the palate with tart apples spiked with clove and anise as a buttery caramel sweetens the sip.
Finish: The finish moves on from that sweet note towards a dry sense of woody spices and a touch of dried and smoked apple slices.
Bottom Line:
This is another nice one that works as well on the rocks or in a simple highball. Try it with a dried floral garnish for the best results.
13. Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $31
The Whisky:
Master Blender Emma Walker created this blend with Cardhu — a Speyside distillery — at its core. Cardhu was famously founded and run by another female pioneer in whisky, Elizabeth Cumming, back in the 1800s. The juice is a blend of malts that aged at least ten years from the Diageo stable of Scotch single malts.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The sip has a nose with a clean maltiness next to raisins and peach juice with a hint of leather coming in late.
Palate: The palate is light, almost airy, with stewed apples floating in rich cream next to a touch of milk chocolate.
Finish: The finish has a very faint hint of Johnnie Walker peat next to dry reeds, more malts, and a bitter chocolate powder.
The Bottom Line:
This is the best version of Johnnie Walker Black out there. It’s nice over some ice with a twist of lime or lemon. It also really works well in a basic whiskey-forward cocktail.
12. Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $99
The Whisky:
This blend used to be called Johnnie Walker Platinum, which was also aged 18 years. You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This is the same whisky and comprises 18 whiskies (single grain and single malt) all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Apple chips and toffee mingle with ripe berries, old leather, and supple malts with a hint of dark brown spice mingle on the nose.
Palate: The palate is a mix of salted caramel next to marzipan and vanilla pudding with a touch of canned tangerine.
Finish: The end is sweet with a line of dark chocolate cut with dried chili flakes with an ever so slight smoked edge.
Bottom Line:
This is the first whisky on the list that I’d sip neat or on the rocks and not be mad about it. Still, this makes a killer highball (use some woody botanicals as a garnish) or solid whisky cocktail.
11. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $89
The Whisky:
This no-age-statement blend leans into that signature Walker marriage of Highland and Speyside whiskies with a small dose of Western Scottish whisky for good measure (both grain and malt whiskies are in the mix). The lion’s share of the whisky involved in this gilded bottle is Clynelish, a Highland whisky that adds a modicum of peat to the mix.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose balances old leather gloves and honeyed oats with meaty sultanas, cinnamon-spiced malts, a hint of anise, and an echo of grilled fruit.
Palate: The palate leans into the grilled fruit with a smoky underbelly and a savory edge (almost papaya) next to a lush vanilla cream and a sharp clove/allspice vibe.
Finish: The finish combines the dried fruit and honey with a twinge of florals as a whisper of earthy peat sneaks in late, kind of like a dry moss slowly growing on a tree.
Bottom Line:
This is where we truly get into easy-sipping territory. I have made delicious highballs and cocktails with this too. In fact, if I was making a very whisky-forward old fashioned, I’d probably use this and let the whisky really shine in the glass.
10. Johnnie Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $79
The Whisky:
released to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the brand’s founding in 1820. The brand launched Old Highland Whisky in the 1860s and Celebratory Blend honors this event by using whiskies operating during that time
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a good dose of rum raisin next to plenty of woody winter spices before a soft marzipan cut with pear brandy and dipped in dark yet soft chocolate arrives.
Palate: The nuttiness gets sweet on the palate as a whisp of smoked chestnuts arrives with a soft sense of dirty and wet peat fresh from the bog before a hint of black pepper draws your attention.
Finish: The black pepper softens toward a powdery white pepper on the finish as a hint of old tobacco leather pouches leads to a very mild sense of barrel warehouse floor.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice yet very easy-going whisky. It’s an easy sipper that delivers a classic lightly peated punch in all the right ways. Try it neat and then pour it over a big rock. You’ll be in for a treat.
9. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $239
The Whisky:
This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare grain and malt stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s just … cool. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one feels like silk with soft malts, dried plums, good marzipan, old boot leather, mulled wine spices, and a whisper of fireplace smoke.
Palate: The taste layers orange oils into the marzipan as rose-water-infused honey leads to a line of bitter dark chocolate that’s touched with smoked malts and nuts.
Finish: The end has an even keel of velvet mouthfeel next to floral honey, soft smoldering smoke from a fireplace, and old dried fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is absolutely a good pour of whisky even if it is a little overhyped. Still, this over a big ol’ rock is a slice of peated whisky gold. Not for nothing, but this also makes one hell of a Manhattan (or Rob Roy if you want to get technical).
8. Johnnie Walker Island Green Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $81
The Whisky:
This travel retail exclusive is a take on Johnnie Walker’s iconic Green Label Blended Malt (we’ll get to that soon). The whisky in the bottle is made from barrels from Caol Ila in Islay, Clynelish in the Highlands, Glenkinchie in the Lowlands, and Cardhu in Speyside. Once vatted, the whisky is proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is like walking past fishing boats that just came in with their catch on a rainy day on the nose before rich toffee arrives with a vanilla cookie and a faint whisper of incense (sandalwood).
Palate: The whisky warms on the front of the tongue with spiced winter cakes and mulled wine before leaning into deeply smoked plums, apricots, and peaches with a smoldering sweet orchard wood fire still spitting smoke in the background.
Finish: That smoked fruit takes on a spiced stewed vibe at the end as the finish leans into almost mossy peat smoke lines through rainwater in slate and straw.
Bottom Line:
This is a very good pour that works well on the rocks or in a cocktail. The end is just different enough to help this stand out as a neat pour too.
7. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Ghost And Rare Glenury Royal
ABV: 43.8%
Average Price: $317
The Whisky:
The core of the blend is barrels of whisky from the extinct Glenury Royal Distillery. Those barrels are blended with grain whisky from Cameronbridge Distillery and single malts from Glen Elgin, Inchgower, and Glenkinchie.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and lush fruit orchards burst from the nose with ripe sweet apple, plump apricots, green pears, and ripe tart cherries before rich and almost creamy toffee drives the nose toward sweet notes of smoked butterscotch and vanilla pods.
Palate: The tip of the tongue is greeted with fresh honeycomb next to lush vanilla that feels like a moist coffee cake before the fruit from the nose takes a dry turn and becomes salted and just kissed with sweet smoke.
Finish: Those dried fruits are covered in salted dark chocolate on the finish as a sense of brandy-soaked marzipan arrives with a light flourish of salted smoked plums and pears lingering on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This 2019 Limited Edition release is still on shelves. So get some because this is just delicious. It’s also peat-lite, meaning that it won’t scare off the peat-curious sippers out there.
6. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich
ABV: 43.8%
Average Price: $629
The Whisky:
This is another Johnnie Walker Blue that’s built on the back of barrels from closed distilleries. The blend is built on the back of old barrels from Pittyvaich Distillery, which has been shuttered since 1993. Those barrels are blended with whisky from Mannochmore, Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Strathmill, and Royal Lochnagar. Once vatted, the whisky was bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tart and crisp apples dance with fresh wisteria and nasturtium on the nose with a sense of honeycomb pulled straight from the hive, cinnamon bark stips soaked in apple cider and just kissed with raspberry syrup and a light sense of smoked berries over a buttery vanilla-laced crumble.
Palate: Those apples join the crumble vibe as a rich and spicy mincemeat pie vibe takes the taste toward marmalade, rich toffee rolled in roasted almonds, and salted dried pear and apricot.
Finish: There’s a light fruity leatheriness to the finish that’s smoothed out by rich cinnamon vanilla ice cream over warm apple pie before a spice malted cake drizzled with orange icing and stuffed soaked in pear brandy round out the end.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious. Pour it neat, take your time, and enjoy the ride.
5. Johnnie Walker King George V Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $711
The Whisky:
This blend from Johnnie Walker is a celebratory Blue Label variant. Part of what you’re paying for is the extinct Port Ellen distillery whisky in the bottle. Another part is that all the whiskies in the blend are from distilleries that were running when King George V reigned in the U.K., between 1910 and 1936. Then, of course, there’s the bespoke flint glass decanter that has its own serial number (don’t throw it away!).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a delicate dance between honeyed almonds dusted with coarse salt, dark chocolate just kissed with vanilla, and an orange-honey sweet smokiness.
Palate: The taste builds on that orange-honey vibe with a touch of rose water and marzipan as the dark chocolate sharpens its bitterness and the smoke moves far into the background.
Finish: The end is like pure velvet with a bright fresh rose note next to the final slow fade of smoked oranges and almonds.
Bottom Line:
This is a silky dream in a glass. It might not be as deep as some of the whiskies on this list but it’s so beautiful on the palate and balanced that it doesn’t matter.
4. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Ghost And Rare Port Ellen
ABV: 43.8%
Average Price: $382
The Whisky:
Closed back in 1983, Port Ellen has remained a distillery of legendary status (so much so that it’s been reopened). This Johnnie Blue limited edition uses very old barrels of Port Ellen grain whisky and blends it with other shuttered distillery barrels from Carsebridge and Caledonian distilleries. That whisky is then blended with barrels of single malt from Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol, and Oban. You know, some of only the most iconic working distilleries today.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Grilled peaches drizzled in smoked blue cheese sauce lead to creamy vanilla over gnocchi (if you know, you know) before hints of smoked candied orange and lemon lead to a note of star fruit and grilled pineapple covered in rum raisin and layered over smoldering oak and orchard wood staves.
Palate: The smoked and candied citrus rinds turn waxy like a saltwater taffy with neon colors before papaya skins and mango seeds drive the palate toward salted oysters and clams with a hint of bacon and parsley.
Finish: The end takes you to a dock just as the cages and nets are hitting the deck and sort of combines everything into a briny seafood chowder with a hint of smoked tropical fruit turnover for dessert with a lush vanilla cream sauce.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is just f*cking delicious. It’s a journey in a glass and it’s a journey that really speaks to me. My palate aside, this is also a very complex and nuanced whisky that simply rises above most blended Scotch whiskies on the shelf today.
3. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $499
The Whisky:
Johnnie Walker just dropped a new and very unique version of their Blue Label. Dr. Emma Walker, Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender, worked with Chef Kei Kobayashi to create a whisky blend that truly presented as “umami” on the profile. They did this by selecting umami-forward barrels from the vast stables of Diageo’s Scotch distilleries to create a masterful and truly unique Johnnie Blue.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange oils and bright fresh berries lead on the nose before woody winter spices create a sharp shift toward pepper smoked brisket burnt ends with a hint of blueberry BBQ sauce.
Palate: The palate leans toward white peaches that are almost savory before the woody apple is cut with tangerines and orange oils with a hint of wild berries that are part savory and part woody — think huckleberries off the bush.
Finish: The finish swings back around to that brisket with a deep saltiness and sharp black pepper vibe before the dark and woody berries come back into counterbalance with brightness, sweetness, and woodiness.
Bottom Line:
This is funky and weird and it just works. This paired with a full-on omakase meal is the stuff of whisky-pairing dreams.
2. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Ghost and Rare Brora
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $399
The Whisky:
Rare Brora is also made from whiskies from distilleries that are no longer with us — in this case, Cambus and Pittyvaich. Those whiskies are blended with the Highland Single Malt, Royal Lochnagar, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, Cameronbridge, and of course Brora.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Grilled and smoked tropical fruits burst forth on the nose with a sweet orchard wood smokiness that gives way to candied citrus peels, caramel apples, brandy-soaked pears stewed with saffron, and creamy orange sherbert cut with a note of grapefruit pith.
Palate: The pear takes on a dried and salted form while still holding onto the brandied vibe before dark spice barks and buds drive the palate toward a smoldering pile of botanicals and spices infusing into tropical and fall fruits countered by a rich and lush Nutella spread over a fresh from the oven scone with clotted cream on the side.
Finish: The Nutella separates on the finish with roasted and smoked hazelnuts mixing with a hint of fire-roasted chestnuts before salted and very dark chocolate arrives with a note of smoldering smudging sage and tobacco lingering on the very end.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is just delicious. And it’s even relatively affordable. You know what to do.
1. Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $64
The Whisky:
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit — think red berries, fresh pear, and nectarines — with a wisp of singed green grass in the background.
Palate: The palate delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness with grilled peaches covered in salted caramel, honey malt biscuits, and bitter yet sweet marmalade with a dash of winter spiciness.
Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of soft cedar bark, singed wild sage, bark-forward winter spice, and stewed stonefruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is also delicious and has no business being this good at this price point. Hell, a bottle of Caol Ila 12-year costs more than this and the 15-year-old version of that whisky is in this blend. Is this the wildest ride on the list? No. But this is by far the best whisky from Johnnie Walker thanks to an amazing price and a fantastic profile that speaks to all the best moments of Johnnie Walker’s overall vibe.
