Johnnie Walker Gold Blended Scotch

Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 yo Blended Scotch. 750 ml, 80 proof, Presentation box , about $53-65.



I was watching SNL with a good splash of JWG in my glass last night. Sometimes SNL is funnier that way It wasn't all play though, I had notes to take so I could write this up.

Johnnie Walker Gold is not just an older version of their world Famous Black Label Scotch but rather a different blend that has the same roots. It is said up to 40 whiskies are blended to make JWG. I can tell the Cardhu that is the base of almost all JW whiskies and I've read that Clynelish is another main ingrediant but what the others may be, only Johnnie Walker knows.

Johnny Walker Gold is a smoother blend then the Black label, almost silky in the way it goes down. This is more of a thinking whisky, it has greater depth than Black label but doesn't have the one stand out flavor that black does. If you have the time to concentrate there really is alot going on with this blend.

JWG has a big soft nose of honey, light oak and flowers (roses maybe?) in the background. The taste is silky smooth with hints of smoke and oak along with a subtle fruit flavor. This whisky finishes long and slow, it has a bit of dryness on the top of the tongue but the flavors go on and on along the sides.

Johnnie Walker has refined the classic taste of Black label with this 18 yo blend. A bit pricey but still worth it if you like the flavor profile. In England, there are a number of other blends that are perhaps a better buy but for customers in the U.S. our choices are more limited. So JWG joins other Scotches like Chivas 18 and Campbeltown Lock 25 (vatted) as the best Premium (not super premium) blends available here.

Thanks for another great review AVB :thumbs:

Anytime Fast, or at least until I run out of bottles

JWG is something I have not yet had the opportunity to try. I just stay away from blends such that I just don't even have one bottle in my Scotch arsenal (totally single malt). I just recently picked up a bottle of JWG while abroad and ended up giving it to my father-in law, an avid JW fan...though, of course, being a father-in-law, faulted me for not getting him the Blue.

I currently have 1 blend in my mix, the dewars 12 yr old reserve...its not bad...I more into vatted malts, like Chivas's century of malts

PaulMac

Just rec'd a bottle of this from the wifey for Xmas. I figured I'd go post and ask for some info, but of course, AVB has already reviewed.

Thanks for the review AVB. Might sip a little of this later today.

half full monty said:

Just rec'd a bottle of this from the wifey for Xmas. I figured I'd go post and ask for some info, but of course, AVB has already reviewed.

Thanks for the review AVB. Might sip a little of this later today.

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Write a review pulease. It is nice to have varying points of view.

I agree!

emodx said:

Write a review pulease. It is nice to have varying points of view.

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AVB said:

I agree!

emodx said:

Write a review pulease. It is nice to have varying points of view.

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I'll do one better.... it'll be the "Frozen Gold" review......turns out it was a nice little gift set....need a few hours for the chill down.

Would you choose JWG or Chivas 18 if you had to make a choice?

The JWG has a bit more peatiness that I like so I'd have to go for it over the Chivas 18. Overall, it is also a higher rated dram by people who do those things.

AVB said:

The JWG has a bit more peatiness that I like so I'd have to go for it over the Chivas 18. Overall, it is also a higher rated dram by people who do those things.

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I would second that big time. I had some Chivas 18 yesterday. Super smooth, no bite at all, but not as complex as the JWG.

I just tried a glass of this the other day while out for dinner. It was damn good! It was also $9. That's an awful lot for one shot of whisky. Noticeably smoother than the Black Label, as AVB says, and definitely more complex. I can't remember the specific flavors and aromas I noticed, but I wasn't in a great environment for really digging into the whisky anyway (bar section of the restaurant). It has a good peaty- and smokiness to it (similar to Black), which puts it miles ahead of most other blends available in the US. Is it worth twice as much as the Black Label? Maybe, once in a while, but it can't come close on the price-to-value scale, which IMO is basically topped by JWBlack (at least for "volume" drinking).

Nice to see some of the older reviews still being useful.

AVB said:

Nice to see some of the older reviews still being useful.

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Hah, I didn't even look at the date on the last reply...sorry for the necroposting :blush: , but maybe it'll do somebody some good.

I wasn't complaining.

rbbrock said:

AVB said:

Nice to see some of the older reviews still being useful.

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Hah, I didn't even look at the date on the last reply...sorry for the necroposting :blush: , but maybe it'll do somebody some good.

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rbbrock,
Where I am from $9.00 a shot for JW Gold would be considered a good price. This is far and away my favorite blended whisky dollar for dollar. To me it's 75% of what you get in the JW Blue at less than 1/3 the cost. Maybe that's a slight exaggeration but this is some good stuff.

AVB said:

I wasn't complaining.

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I didn't mean to imply you were, AVB, I was just trying to be humerous, albeit quite mildly I admit.

sigar_zealot said:

Where I am from $9.00 a shot for JW Gold would be considered a good price.

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I've only tried it this one time, maybe that's a good price here as well. It just seems like a lot to me. This is the reason I don't generally drink expensive whisky when I go out.

This is far and away my favorite blended whisky dollar for dollar. To me it's 75% of what you get in the JW Blue at less than 1/3 the cost. Maybe that's a slight exaggeration but this is some good stuff.

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This is some very good stuff. On my personal value scale, I don't think it's worth the premium over JW Black, but we all have different scales. I hope no one who reads my comments is discouraged from trying the Gold, because it really is good and I think any scotch lover should try it. I am glad I did, but when Black is $23 a bottle and Gold is $70, I'm happy with Black, but that is just me.

i went through a bottle, (like sherman went through georgia) .. of that JWGold..

faster than any other bottle in the last 30 years.

plenty of taste, but grossly sloshable, not 'sipping' by my standards at all. thin on the aftertaste, (i'm used to cask strength and un-chill-filtered, expect oomph! ) .. which led to 'one more dram'.. repeatedly.

can't COMPLAIN exactly, not a hangover in it that I can tell and i tested it well.. but don't count on any for NEXT weekend.

my usual portion is one, maybe two small shots. i think i quit that JWGold about #10 or so..

you wuz warned..

picked up a bottle of this today. Looking forward to trying it in a few!!