Here’s the thing about blended whisky that super whisky geeks generally don’t like: you don’t know what’s in it.
Sure it tastes good. It might even taste incredible. But when education is involved and the opportunity for added intellectual knowledge is blurred or removed, some people opt out.
These folks want percentages, distillery names, cask numbers, proofs, and specifics. Knowing is part of the fun. They want to know why something tastes the way it does. I get it. I’m often that way, too.
Today, I’m going to try and bridge the gap. I have friends at Diageo from my time in the business, so sometimes I get access to information that not everyone has. With that information, I’ve decided to go back, taste through the core of Diageo’s Johnnie Walker expressions, and offer single malt lovers an inside look at the components that make-up these renowned labels.
Because at the end of the day, Johnnie Walker makes some pretty damn good whisky. A little more information might be what’s needed to bring more finicky drinkers into the fold.
Ready to walk through these with me? (pun intended)
Johnnie Walker Red Label
Core single malt whiskies: Teanninich, Cardhu, and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge
Teanninich is distillery in the Northern Highlands that dates back to 1817 and does a 75 hour ferment for an ultra-fruity style of malt.
Cardhu was built in 1824, is located in the Speyside region, and also does a 75 hour ferment.
Caol Ila is an Islay distillery founded in 1846 that makes a smoky, but creamy and oily malt with its huge pot stills.
Cameron Bridge is a grain distillery outside of Edinburgh dating back to 1824 that is said to be the oldest continually-operating distillery in the world. It makes grain whisky as well as the neutral grain spirits for Smirnoff and Tanqueray gin.
Flavor Profile: Fruity, seductively sweet, and slightly smoky
David’s Notes: Having not tasted the Red Label in years, I have to say that I’m completely smitten with this whisky because I understand the task that’s been accomplished here. The palate is ridiculously integrated and seamless for a blend of this size and scale, which is no small feat. Remember: blending old, expensive whiskies is easy because most of the time they already taste really good on their own! Blended young grains and less mature malts is much harder because the edges are rougher and more difficult to streamline. The fact that we sell 1.75 liters of this for $33 is insane.
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old
Core single malt whiskies: Blair Athol, Cardhu, Strathmill, and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge
Blair Athol is one of the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland, located in the quaint village of Pitlochry in the lower Highlands. Known mostly as the key malt in Bell’s Blended Whisky, it dates back to 1798 and makes a soft, fruity whisky.
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Strathmill was founded in 1891 and creates a light and fruity style of malt. Using a purifier at the top of its stills, the device forces the heavier alcohols back down, allowing only the lighter alcohols to move through to the condenser.
Caol Ila - See my notes from the Red Label
Cameron Bridge - See my notes from the Red Label
Flavor Profile: More pronounced smoke, soft and ashy on the palate, rich and smooth through the finish.
David’s Notes: The Black Label 12 year is perhaps the archetype for what Scotch is “supposed” to taste like. It runs the gamut of whisky flavor effortlessly from peaty to malty, and vanilla to Sherry, without any rough edges.
Johnnie Walker Double Black
Core single malt whiskies: Cardhu and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Caol Ila - See my notes from the Red Label
Cameron Bridge - See my notes from the Red Label
Flavor Profile: Smoky and peaty on the nose, more of that on the palate, rich and luscious on the finish.
David’s Notes: Basically take out two of the Highland single malts from the Walker Black, double up on the Caol Ila, and you’ve got the Double Black. If you like peaty whisky, this is the peatiest of the core JW range.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Core single malt whiskies: Clynelish, Cardhu, Blair Athol and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge
Clynelish is one of the most distinctive single malts in all of Scotland, renowned by aficionados for its waxy, lemony flavor and delicate nature. Built in 1967 to replace the aging Brora distillery, it’s one of the furthest North in Scotland.
Blair Athol - See my notes from the Black Label
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Caol Ila - See my notes from the Red Label
Cameron Bridge - See my notes from the Red Label
Flavor Profile: Waxy up front with honey and heather across the middle, stone fruit and vanilla on the finish.
David’s Notes: I always tell people: if there’s one whisky you can always pick out of a blind tasting, it’s Clynelish because no other whisky tastes like this. The Gold Reserve, while not as mature as the now-defunct Gold 18 year, is a fantastic whisky from front to back and it’s incredibly complex. There are layers of flavor to unpack here, oily, chewy, round, and supple textures as well that pour over your tongue with every sip.
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old Blended Malt
Core single malt whiskies: Linkwood, Talisker, Cragganmore, and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: none
Linkwood dates back to 1821 and produces a floral and sometimes heathery whisky that is light and easy to drink.
Talisker was founded in 1830 and is located on the remote Isle of Skye. Its combination of peat and candied fruit flavors have made its single malt a fan favorite for decades.
Cragganmore was built in 1869 and distills a more robust style of malt due to the shape of its stills, making it the perfect foil for Sherry cask maturation.
Caol Ila - see my notes from the Red Label
Flavor Profile: Creamy and slightly sweet with gentle smoke flavors and nutty Sherry notes on the finish.
David’s Notes: Always the best of the bunch for me, you get the super creamy notes from the Cragganmore and the Linkwood, with the peaty, smoky notes from the Talisker and the Caol Ila. It’s fat and supple on the palate, and chewy on the backend, which I love. It’s also nice to see how well this whisky has kept its form since reverting back to the four malt formula. I plan on having a bottle of this in my home at all times moving forward.
Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old
Core single malt whiskies: Cardhu, Glen Elgin, Auchroisk, Blair Athol, and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Glen Elgin dates back to 1898 and is another of Diageo’s Highland distilleries known for a heavy and robust whisky, which is often matured in Sherry butts.
Auchroisk (often pronounced ah-thrusk) is a newer facility, founded in 1974, that is known for its grainy, malty, sometimes even nutty profile.
Blair Athol - See my notes from the Black Label
Caol Ila - See my notes from the Red Label
Cameron Bridge - See my notes from the Red Label
Flavor Profile: Delicate and refined with soft fruit, layered Sherry notes, and just the softest touch of smoke.
David’s Notes: This a haunting whisky, almost like drinking the soul of Scotch whisky. You wanna talk about seamless and smooth? There’s no whisky in the JW lineup as seamless and smooth as this. Every flavor builds into the next one, to the point that it’s hard to pick out any one thing. It’s a masterpiece of whisky architecture. The Sherry-matured additions of Glen Elgin and Auchroisk steal the show here.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Core single malt whiskies: Benrinnes, Cardhu, Clynelish, and Caol Ila
Core grain whiskies: Cameron Bridge and Port Dundas
Benrinnes was founded in 1826, but the distillery was rebuilt in the 1950s. The whisky undergoes a rapid distillation process which results in a heavier spirit, then is condensed in worm tubs for an even more robust character.
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Clynelish - See my notes from the Gold Label Reserve
Caol Ila - See my notes from the Red Label
Cameron Bridge - See my notes from the Red Label
Port Dundas - Operating from 1811 to roughly 2009, Port Dundas was the Glaswegian counterpart to Cameron Bridge, producing column still grain whiskies only. Now that it’s closed, every sip means there’s a little less Port Dundas whisky in the world.
Flavor Profile: Incredibly soft and lithe with stewed fruits and an oily, softly sweet finish.
David’s Notes: One of the most ethereal whiskies in the world, so dainty and reserved that it’s almost like listening to beautiful melody at a low volume. Most people have the instinct to turn things up and rock out when they love music, but the Blue Label doesn’t work that way. You have to tune out the world and focus in completely on its haunting beauty in order to fully appreciate it. Dialing it up only distorts its character. For those who taste carefully, you’ll be blown away by how many currents are running at an incredibly low frequency. Benrinnes is also one of my favorite Highland distilleries because the whisky has a thickness to it that you can almost sink your teeth into, which you can sense in the mid-palate. Combine that with the Clynelish, and you get something other-worldly.
Johnnie Walker 200th Anniversary Celebratory Blend
Core single malt whiskies: Cardhu, and ?????
Core grain whiskies: Port Dundas
Cardhu - See my notes from the Red Label
Port Dundas - See my notes from the Blue Label
Flavor Profile: Rich and simultaneously powerful due to the higher proof, with candied fruit and peppery spice on the finish.
David’s Notes: Thick with sweet malt flavors on the nose—honey, toffee, malted barley—with more heft in the mid-palate from the 51% ABV. The middle is all dried fruits and raisins, before bursting on the finish with creme brûlée notes. It’s sort of a one-trick pony from front to back, but it’s a really good one simply due to the oily texture which I absolutely adore in my whiskies.
-David Driscoll