Whisky Whiskey

The top of the line Core Range from Johnnie Walker is the infamous Blue Label and at $300 AUD a bottle, it had want to blow my damned socks off. I speculate about why it’s likely a Non-age Statement Scotch, what it’s core components are, and try to decide whether or not you should buy into the hype. Is it as good as they say?

With John Chidgey.

The penultimate Johnnie Walker in the Core Range, the 18 Year, is the target today. I cover it’s similarly confusing name changes over the years since its introduction, which are its primary constituant Whiskies and try to decide whether having a Scotch that’s so damn easy to drink…is that a good thing…or a bad thing?

With John Chidgey.

The only Johnnie Walker that’s a Blended Malt, the Green Label, is the next in the review chain of the core range. I look at how it was on and off the market, it’s history since being called the Pure Malt in 1997 and how it’s truly unique in the Johnnie Walker line up…it’s very different…and it’s very, good.

With John Chidgey.

Three down in the Johnnie Walker core range exploration and today we’re looking at the Gold Label Reserve, a dram I first tried at my wife’s 50th Birthday party. I look at what can best be described as a marketing SNAFU with the mutating name changes to this dram, as well as where it sits with the benefit of more time to review it. This one surprised me, I have to be honest.

With John Chidgey.

The next step in the Johnnie Walker core range exploration brings me to try the Double Black, a non-age statement version that is supposedly similar to the Black, just smokier. Spoiler alert, yes it’s smokey, no it is nothing like the Black Label. Months ago I named it as my favourite Blended Scotch under $100 AUD for 2024…with more time to review it properly, has my opinion changed?

With John Chidgey.