Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 Year Old

I'm in complete agreement with your review. Gold Label is by far my favourite JW whisky, although I haven't opened my bottle of Blue Label yet. I'm still convinced I'll like the Gold just as much if not more though. I know you've had Blue Label; how do the two compare to each other?

@michaelschout, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, maybe because I had read so many comments from people who found it to be overrated. Smooth, delicate, fragile, and gentle are the words which I would use to describe the Blue Label. By contrast to the Gold Label the flavours in the Blue Label I find to be more indwelling and introverted, almost, hinted at, rather than expressed. The Blue Label flavours shimmered like clouds barely perceptible at the far expanse of the visible horizon, or a beautiful dream barely remembered upon waking. I will be interested in hearing your observations when you sample your Blue Label.

That was certainly a poetic and excellent description. I'm saving the Blue Label for a special occasion so I'll let you know how it goes when the time comes.

Many folks' favourite all round JW for quality and price.

@Victor - as one of those who has said marginal things about the Blue Label, I feel the need to clarify! It's not that I dislike the Blue Label, it's just that I would rate the Green Label higher, and for the price of the Blue Label, it is way less value for money than a lot of other whiskies of all stripes. For me it just isn't worth the price, and isn't even close - even if you halved the price I would probably buy a lot of other drams before spending my money on the Blue Label. That's not to say it is a bad drop though, it's just that I would choose to spend my money on so many other whiskies before I would even look at the Blue Label.

@jdcook, I am with you on value for the money when buying whisky. And I definitely agree with you on the relative cost value with respect to quality of the Johnnie Walker Green Label compared to the Blue Label. I would rate them about 4 points from one another, but since the Green Label costs 1/3 as much here, that is the one I would most often indulge. I have recently been sampling the Blue Label on somebody else's "nickel", a happy circumstance which allows me a perspective detached from the practical consideration of paying for it. I would love to own a bottle of the Blue Label, but thus far I have been unwilling to pay what it costs.

@michaelschout and @LeFrog, nota bene that on the Connosr members' highest rated whiskies list, that, excluding vatted products, Johnnie Walker Gold Label is the ONLY Scottish Blended Whisky in the top 50.

There is a top 50 list?

@Peatpete, yes, under "Whiskies" drop down menu, "Popular".

Thanks

I basically got the same score for the JW Gold but for slightly different reasons. If there wasn't that typical slight bitterness in the finish coming from the grain whisky blended in, it would get a much higher rating from my side. The Nose, balance and overall taste are simply amazing. A wonderful, smooth and elegant blend that really got to me when i tasted it. But the finish is simply slightly bitter coming from the grain and I am not a big fan of that, though it is somewhat neglectable if I consider the overall quality! Still it got 90/100, which is an all time high for grain whiskies ;)