Johnnie Walker 18 Year

Of the Johnnie Walkers, the 18 Year is the one that personally appeals to me the most. It has a creamy, butterscotch-like palate with notes of dark chocolate, which ends with a hint of peat. Easy to drink, but has enough complexity on the palate. I can definitely see myself buying a 70CL bottle of this. Note: I drank this from a 5CL tasting bottle, which was part of the Johnnie Walker Discover Collection.

Yeah I’m definitely taking this over everything in the standard range. Was also lucky enough to try the Brora Blue which was excellent. Anyways, Candied apples on the nose, very floral like Glenmo 18 actually. A hint of smoke and clove in the distance with some Sherry and oak (mostly Sherry). The palate is a surprisingly hefty swish without much oiliness from the grain. The finish is spectacular: cooked chocolate caramel biscuits. What a dram.

Tastes like Johnny Walker but better than the black label

It’s better than the gold, but slightly. Not worth it for that extra 30 bucks IMO

When you hear people talking about Scotch, Johnnie Walker is a name almost everyone is familiar with. Being one of the most iconic names in whisky, Johnnie Walker prides itself on its rich history of blending and producing exquisite Scotch Whisky. Dating back to the early nineteenth century, Johnnie Walker and sons was pivotal in the creation of what Scotch Whisky has become today. Johnnie Walker 18 is one of the newest expressions in their core line and has everything you would expect from this quintessential whisky. Johnnie Walker 18 once known as the Platinum Label is a blend of whiskies with a minimum age of 18 years. It is rumored to be a blend of whisky from about 20 different distilleries from all over Scotland. Having more of a sweetness and floral profile, one could guess it is predominantly made from the Highlands or Speyside with a touch of Islay smoke. Johnnie Walker 18 is bottled at 40% ABV which makes it a quite easy sipper. To add, it is a great choice for Scotch drinkers who do not want to spend $150+ on Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Color: Deep Amber The nose is full of floral notes with some hints of vanilla, honey, fruity sweetness, and light smokiness. The palate is a little oily, full of more vanilla, honey, toffee, dark chocolate, and fruit sweetness. There is also some light smokiness on the mouthfeel. The finish is long with sweet notes of caramel, dried fruits, and some dark chocolate bitterness. The smoke fades at this point. Although there is a lack of complexity, it is made up by the rich flavors the burst out in this blend.

Being a fan (or not) of Blue Label may lead one to wonder, "hey, is the 18 year very close to Blue?". At least those are the kind of meandering musings that percolate around in my somewhat rattly skull these days. Maybe we have the JW version of "poor mans pappy" for Blue Label masquerading with a 18year goldish label on it? Having sampled at least one version of each, Blair Athol, Cardhu and Glen Elgin I'm already intrigued with some fairly high expectations. Fresh off a Blue Label review this might be kismet like timing to take on the 18 year. Nose: sweet and fruity, a honey or meade sweet bread and fruits maybe more like peach are well forward. This really seems sweeter than Blue Label which carries much the same nose spectrum. Now for the real test. Wow, this is something, that peach syrup sugar is well accentuated by a hardy bitter nut center. That bitter carries through the finish and this most definitely ends the direct comparison to Blue Label, while it's not a terribly harsh bitter finish, more of a flail to the other side, it really shows how a blend variation can produce drastically differing results. The Blue Label continues that bread and honey circus right out the gate and will not be denied its namesake winning ribbon color "Blue". 18 year has more of a "hey IN YOUR FACE" coarse attitude as it shuffles off to the alley. Had the comparison ridden only on the nose the 18 looked like a potential winner but the Blue Label ends the ride in a far more refined finish. 18 year is like roaring into the driveway with a hopped up 400 V8 rattling under the hood of a Mustang Cobra while Blue Label is like coasting in, lights off in a convertible Caddie with under inflated tires and the top down on a July night. Both great in their own way but just not the same thing at all. Conclusion: Still a Blue Label fanboi all the way, but respect for 18 Year where it is due. Not a bad effort at all Johnnie. Cheers!