It's probably safe to say that when anyone mentions Johnnie Walker, they typically associate the brand with a color of a label. Red, Blue, Black, Green, what do all these labels mean anyway, and what's the difference between them?
Well, for those of you who are not scotch enthusiasts like me, let me school you a little bit on the infamous Johnnie Walker labels. This internationally known single malt scotch whiskey brand is owned by a distillery in Kilmarnock, Scotland and distributes over 130 million bottles worldwide each year.
First off, let's list the variants of Johnnie Walker. There's Red, Black, Green, Gold, Blue and a blend called Swing. The quality of these labels aren't like the rainbow, green is better than red, and blue is much better than black, if that makes any sense. We could list the labels in terms of quality, but since taste is completely subjective, let's just list them from least expensive to most expensive:
Red Label; Black Label; Swing Label; Green Label; Gold Label; Blue Label
Price is directly related to the age of each variant. Now, Mr. Walker likes to be mysterious about the number of years some blends are aged. For example, Black Label is aged 12 years, but Blue Label is unknown.
Blue Label is kind of like the unicorn of Johnnie Walker blends. You rarely see it, but you're convinced it exists. Since Gold Label is the next best thing after Blue Label, people are pretty curious as to how many years it's actually aged. Gold Label is already 15/18 years, so Blue Label has to be at aged at least 25 years, if not longer considering its costliness. I, for one, am extremely curious about how many years Blue Label is aged, since it's so expensive. Of course, you can always find the upper-end labels for less at a discount liquor store. Blue Label is so serious that each bottle comes in a silk lined box and has its own serial number.
When it comes to tasting these different labels, follow these few tips and you'll be sure to get the best scotch experience and your money's worth:
I prefer my scotch neat, without ice. But if you must have your scotch on the rocks, a) don't let your ice cubes melt and completely dilute the flavors of the scotch or b) keep a glass in your freezer and drink out of it for a cooler scotch
Conserve Johnnie Walker scotches and avoid using them for mixed drinks. Again, if you must, mix with only Red Label.
All in all, when it comes to the best single malt scotch whiskey, there's nothing more I love than a Blue Label soaked unicorn.
Well, for those of you who are not scotch enthusiasts like me, let me school you a little bit on the infamous Johnnie Walker labels. This internationally known single malt scotch whiskey brand is owned by a distillery in Kilmarnock, Scotland and distributes over 130 million bottles worldwide each year.
First off, let's list the variants of Johnnie Walker. There's Red, Black, Green, Gold, Blue and a blend called Swing. The quality of these labels aren't like the rainbow, green is better than red, and blue is much better than black, if that makes any sense. We could list the labels in terms of quality, but since taste is completely subjective, let's just list them from least expensive to most expensive:
Red Label; Black Label; Swing Label; Green Label; Gold Label; Blue Label
Price is directly related to the age of each variant. Now, Mr. Walker likes to be mysterious about the number of years some blends are aged. For example, Black Label is aged 12 years, but Blue Label is unknown.
Blue Label is kind of like the unicorn of Johnnie Walker blends. You rarely see it, but you're convinced it exists. Since Gold Label is the next best thing after Blue Label, people are pretty curious as to how many years it's actually aged. Gold Label is already 15/18 years, so Blue Label has to be at aged at least 25 years, if not longer considering its costliness. I, for one, am extremely curious about how many years Blue Label is aged, since it's so expensive. Of course, you can always find the upper-end labels for less at a discount liquor store. Blue Label is so serious that each bottle comes in a silk lined box and has its own serial number.
When it comes to tasting these different labels, follow these few tips and you'll be sure to get the best scotch experience and your money's worth:
I prefer my scotch neat, without ice. But if you must have your scotch on the rocks, a) don't let your ice cubes melt and completely dilute the flavors of the scotch or b) keep a glass in your freezer and drink out of it for a cooler scotch
Conserve Johnnie Walker scotches and avoid using them for mixed drinks. Again, if you must, mix with only Red Label.
All in all, when it comes to the best single malt scotch whiskey, there's nothing more I love than a Blue Label soaked unicorn.
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