Red Label was the first one I tried, Black Label was the first one I bought, and Green Label was the first one I loved. I always keep a bottle of Green Label stocked these days.
I have only tried Black Label. I was surprised because I enjoyed it pretty well, more than I expected. To me it was better than similar blends Dewar's White Label, Chivas 12. For the price I like Teachers as it has more peat but Teachers also has more bite from the grain alcohol in the blend that doesn't taste as well blended.
Red is good for mixing and on a budget. I don’t recommend drinking it straight unless it is slightly watered down with some ice cubes. Even then it’s tough. Coke or ginger ale with red = 👌🏼
I really enjoy Red Lsbel as a sipping whisky. It is no where near as good as Black Label, but still very good. Also the burn level is well inside the tolerable range.
Your off on this one! Red is the #1 selling Scotch in the World! Pretty good on the rocks! I don't find the alcohol burn outside of ordinary! I like it! 😥
Most people won't even acknowledge that there is smokiness to Johnny Red. It gets talked down on too often in my opinion. It's great in a highball with a noticeable amount of smoke. I like Johnny Black but Red is well worth the money. I disagree with this assessment.
JW Red is what it is. It's not "Bad", it's a scotch whiskey meant for cocktails...I'm not going to make a Rob Roy with any of JW's higher priced blends.
So, Trader Joe's sells a $10 a bottle "Blended Scotch Whiskey" that's a little less nasty than I remember JWR being, but has a similar overall flavor. Be warned or intrigued as suits your need.
The Whiskey Dic Here in Croatia we have a $10 per bottle "Canadian Special Old" whiskey which, when mixed with coke, I actually prefer over the Red Label.
I get a subtle smoke odor. green apple note followed by a slight caramel and maybe a hint of raison. On taste i get the Smokey spicy rich sweet sugary taste also a very light oak flavor. In my opinion this is a delicious whiskey. Its not a lingering after taste either.
The Whiskey Dic... i do like this as a sipping whiskey. I have had some that are a bit more pricy and do a little better on taste but this one is a nice tasting low budget whiskey.
LOL !!! If you want it to appear to taste better to you, get some Black Velvet ( rotgut ) Canadian Whiskey for a couple bucks, then go back to the Johnnie Walker Red Label. It might not be as bad then. Seriously I do prefer Johnnie Walker Black Label to Red Label but I don't find it offensive. It's not a favorite but it is palatable to me. There is a unique butterscotch flavor I get out of it that is not present in the Black Label. The strong alcohol scent doesn't bother me.
Definitely not. I'm not much for the 'Jack ń Coke' thing, but if a whisky can't be enjoyed neat, do it! Real cocktails like an 'Old fashioned' is a different deal but even then don't use some really nice whisky for those.
intended as a mixer seems like a bad cop out. ive never seen scotch used as mixer. if youre mixing it with cola i dont think the taste even matters at that point. and the price can be beat. i think its kind of the budweiser of whiskies, its bad (id argue in both cases worse than absolute bottom shelf) but people think its good because it costs a few bucks more than bottom shelf and has clever marketing.
My grandfather used to drink Johnnie Walker red meat three shots at a time . When I was five I was hiding behind his chair , he set his cup of scotch down and I promptly drank it . My mom found me in the corner passed out after I cut my own hair .
I got some two days ago and it was the first scotch I've ever had. I drink cheap whiskeys, like ten high, R&R, Canadian Mist etc. But I'd not yet had scotch. I don't mind the red at all, just on ice. I'll get black label next. I didn't want to drop forty bucks in case I didn't like it. 27 dollars for the red was okay. Looking forward to the black label.
Johnnie Walker Red Label has become my second favorite Whiskey. Blackened Whiskey is my favorite whiskey. Red Label's flavors grow on you as you get used to mixing it correctly with Pepsi or Coke. I don't smell a burn in mine, I smell a ton of caramel, apple and honey. Everyone's taste buds are different. Take Care Man.
Ha Ha Ha - this was so funny ... watched it for the first time after you did the JW Blue... but JW Red actually started my Whisky journey 4 years ago... so I must give it some credit... don't think I can even try it anymore...
The Red Label is the worst whisky I have ever tried, the worst. Do not buy it especially when you can find something like the Teacher's Highland Cream in the same price range.
I agree with this review. I also bought a small bottle on good discount and I found only alcohol and smoke there. Was a big disappointment. Totally waste of money.
I love the smell of Johnnie Walker Red. I am more of a cheap scotch person and I do enjoy sipping some Johnnie Walker Red alone once in a rare while. Hey, nobody has the same taste buds.
Yes JW Red is not a great whiskey. We all know that. But your near-snobbish review, thin with evidence, does a disservice to what is at least a decent whiskey that you actually compare to gasoline. I expect more from a whiskey channel.
I searched this up to see if someone had the same opinion because I’m a novice. Thank goodness I’m not. Johnnie walker red tastes like rubber and ass. It’s literally the worst alcohol I have ever tasted ever.
While Red Label is marketed by Diageo as mix, it is not horrible neat. The nose is not great, but on the palate, it does have a pleasant smokiness which I believe is contributed to by the Talisker. It is smoky and green apple. Any how, great review and keep the reviews comin'!
Jason Debly - good point, Jason. People should try Red Label with ginger ale and a couple of ice cubes- wonderful. The kick that some people find too much when drinking it neat, actually works well and balances the ginger ale (or cola if you prefer).
Jason Debly I 100% agree with you. Red label is absolutely pleasant on the palate. I enjoy Red label neat, sometimes with a few drops of water to open it up. At least Red label is better than the shit my country of Canada produces (with the exception of Forty creek)
A.J. Smith... i tried to ad a little water to this whisky it really didn't open up much for me at all i found that the flavors enhanced as i let it stand in the glass for a moment. Give the glass a swirl before you finish it and the flavors will pop.
Johnnie Walker Red almost ruined me on scotch forever!! It was the first scotch I tried and it almost ruined me. It's horrible stuff!! I just can't believe anyone would make a scotch that terrible, ON PURPOSE!! I'm so glad I finally decided to press on and branch out to better scotches.
red label was my unfortunate first brush with scotch, which only in the last year i've learned i love (my family and buddies mainly do bourbon). it was around three years ago when i was 21. my friend and i went to the liquor store, i was between jobs at the time (yet somehow managed to live in a freaking shwanky part of town) so suffice to say, he was buying. he has an older brother that told him that its "the good stuff" and i remember my friend saying to me as he picked it off the shelf that its "the good stuff". we went to his house and drank it with said brother and an additional friend. and yeah it basically is like gasoline, it tastes like if a 100 proof whisky was really bad except its 80 proof. have being told it was "the good stuff" i thought i hated pricey whisky. but im not mad at that; what im mad at is that it was a pint size bottle and we didnt finish it between basically three people (regardless god bless my friend and beggars cant be choosers etc.). i got two or three pulls of this garbage and my buddy was being generous but perhaps not as much as he thought. lifes funny, ya know?
If you put a splash of raspberry ginger ale , you'll get the essent of the Johnny walker RED , I LOVE IT , AND you killed it , but yes it is rough to taken in straight, but so is wild turky , lol
Is my taste just broken? I find JWR easier to drink and less harsh than JD, Jameson and even Maker's Mark... Just started to get into whiskeys though and think I prefer scotches to bourbons.
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Yeah will be interesting to see. The other cheap whiskeys taste like nail polish to me. Found Jura is definitely my favourite so far :)
My first Johnnie Walker was Red Label. This happened to also be my first experience with what I call spirits - I won a 4.5 litre bottle in a raffle. It took me a year and a half to drink it and I still don't like it. In honour of my 41st birthday recently my Uncle broke out two small bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Better, but give me a nice single malt any day, grain whisky gives me a headache, no matter how little I consume.
+2tone crenshaw I had to try it a few times. I don't like it but I need to be fair. I ended up killing the bottle at some point. It may suck, but it's still whisky!
I read that Sir Winston Churchill drank JWR throughout the day, with champagne for breakfast , wine with meals, and brandy after dinner. But he drank it with soda. And he lived into his nineties. He also smoked 20 cigars a day. Yeesh.
Trash and gasoline is imo a pretty accurate description of the scotch, it's not good and not really even an entry-level scotch, that would maybe be the Black Label, Highland Park 12, Glenfiddich 12 or Macallan 12. But my favorite right now would either be the Lagavulin 16 or Laphroaig QC/10 y/o.
Interesting fact. I recently had a small party. Had beer...single malt...and Johnny Red...at the end of the party, all the red was gone. Few beers left and plenty of Arbeg and Tomotin left. Couldn't get anyone interested in single malt. Lol...more for me...
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Many people just can't drink anything 80 proof out of the bottle. Just way too strong. Beer and wine sells. And you mix red with Club Soda not Coke...lol
I have noted you always give the stink eye to JW Red. What really got you so miffed about it? I sure don’t have a good palate for whiskey like you have but the dozen bottles I hAve consumed over 68 years never gave me such a reaction? Did an old girl friend always buy you a bottle for your birthday? Really it is not THAT bad. Momma Cass’s bath water? You act as if it was the only whiskey in the world you would not partake. Help me understand. I gave my brother in law a bottle of Oban and something must have happened because it had no resemblance to whiskey at all. It was like furniture polish laced with turpentine. We could not drink it. Maybe it got messed up at the distillery. I wish it had been JW Red.
I'm glad you asked Paul. Honestly? Its offputting for me, but it's become it's own joke at this point. I dont like it, but I've had worse whisky. If I had to pick anything though it's that lots of people try JWR as their first whisky and think that's what it all tastes like then dont drink it again. It's like Jose Cuervo is to tequila.
He walked......pun intended......into this review with a pre-conceived opinion of Red. This is not an objective review. I do however believe that Red has become much more average over the years. I got hold of a small bottle of red from my mother in law that would have been well over 10 years old, maybe more. It was much more complex and drinkable than any bottle purchased today.
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I've been subscribed for at least a year. I like the style of your videos, straight forward. Somehow your JW Blue vid came up and now I'm watching them all. Hope you're well!
I'd have to really think about it. I don't spend much time in that space honestly. JW Black stands out as ok... but don't think that would be my choice
Cutty Sark blended scotch whisky is worlds better than Johnnie Walker red. Cutty is my go to for budget blended scotch, at about $15.99 here in Utah. It was a bit of a sleeper, being surprisingly complex. If I want to spend a bit more, a bottle of Monkey Shoulder at $27.99 is a steal for the money.
What is it about this that makes it so maligned by reviewers? I get that most people use this as a mixer for drinks that call for scotch rather than just to sip. If you read about Red label on the site, it certainly sounds like they are presenting it as a quality product. A blend of about 30 single malts, and it sounds like they try to pick good ones. Why is it so maligned? Are the whiskeys used in the blend just garbage whiskeys so you mix them up and it's one big mess? Does aging have to do with it? Are the whiskeys used in the blend good on their own and just don't work well together in the blend? What's going on here?
Whiskey SNOB !!! Johnny Red is one of the best selling blended Scotches in the world ! It is definitely a working mans drink..... but you compare it to garbage ? I'll choose Red as my everyday go to drink and will also choose another channel to get my reviews.
Zack Smith Bud Light is the most popular beer in America yet it taste like water and in some countries isn’t even classified as beer because it’s so watered down. Popularity does NOT equal quality. The general population for whatever reason likes below average stuff.
I got the leftover of a bottle of this, together with a very cheap, and I'm talking under 10 euros, bottle of whisky from my grandfather today. He said I should try them, but he warned me they were essentially garbage. I still gave it a shot and I agree with you. The Johnnie walker has an awful burn, especially if, like it was for me, it is one of your first times drinking whisky. The other was even worse, it was a local, knock off brand which had an even stronger burn and an awfully overwhelming burnt taste. I guess you could call it smokey, but it was way too overwhelming. I am far from a professional, but I know it's meant to have some kind of a taste, and those didn't have it. I will soon look into buying myself a good, softer bottle to try out, but so far, your videos have helped a lot. Thank you very much and keep up the great work! You've earned a new subscriber.
+Jeffry747 Normally I avoid JD unless I'm using it as a mixer. Most people do the same with JW red. I'm glad you enjoy an inexpensive whiskey... definitely better to drink cheaply!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Fully agree with the drinking cheaply. I too enjoy JW Red now as I think JB Rare is worse and more smokier. I love JW Red and Drambuie for a rusty nail.
+Stankfinger1976 That's interesting. I hear a lot of people defend it as it is, but rarely do they say they like it better than the Black. Do you like other whisky?
The Whiskey Dic yes, many other scotches for sure. Later on in my late 20’s I started appreciating single malt scotch. When I turned 40, I tried Bourbon for the first time and was enamored with it. I’ve purchased several different brands of Bourbon over the last 6 months and have recently tried Rye Whiskey. The Bulleit Rye is a great budget Rye IMO. I found the Black Label had a funky bite to it that I did not enjoy at all.
Johnnie Walker Red is what drove me to learn a little more about Whiskey. I took a bottle to a summer cookout, broke out the bottle and offered it to anyone who might want a taste. Absolutely no one took me up on my offer, some even turned their noses at free booze! I had no idea of why since it was tolerable to me. Now I have a better understanding. Thanks
Thats tough and I'm surprised nobody took you up on it. That must have sucked for you personally. I'm glad you've been exploring a bit more. One that I tell people to bring to a situation like that is some Glenlivet 12. Relatively inexpensive and pretty good
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I viewed your video of Black Velvet, Johnnie Walker Red, and Proper No. 12, which lead me to reviewed all three again. Tactful and honest reviews based on your taste, stay that way. Thanks again
My buddy and I were having a conversation about whiskies to try and you can tell we were going over the head of our other friend, who was listening and wanting to chime in, but didnt know anything. He said "I think you guys would enjoy JW Red" We turned at him and laughed cause he was being serious. lol
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary indeed hahahaha First time I had this when I was 17years old and from the first sip I was done :-) I told my friends , sorry I won't drink that...
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary really good one, watching your review of jhonny walker black right now, i have a question: how would you rate bulleit vs woodford reserve?🤔
What was the first Johnnie Walker you ever tried? What's your favorite now?
Red Label was the first one I tried, Black Label was the first one I bought, and Green Label was the first one I loved. I always keep a bottle of Green Label stocked these days.
Nice! I've done reviews on all three!
Jw is a blend. No single barrel :)
I have only tried Black Label. I was surprised because I enjoyed it pretty well, more than I expected. To me it was better than similar blends Dewar's White Label, Chivas 12. For the price I like Teachers as it has more peat but Teachers also has more bite from the grain alcohol in the blend that doesn't taste as well blended.
double black was my first
Holy shit that intro was funny
Thanks :)
Not only was it funny but right on point
Red is good for mixing and on a budget. I don’t recommend drinking it straight unless it is slightly watered down with some ice cubes. Even then it’s tough. Coke or ginger ale with red = 👌🏼
Lol I drink this straight.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Expand your world! Go up to the black
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Based on my expereince with Red I will try Black when I next see it on offer and see what its like.
I was given a bottle of Red last year and was out of bourbon, so made some Manhattans with it. The bottle was gone that week. Delicious, oddly enough.
Red Label is my go to. I actually enjoy the stuff.
My cousin loves it.
I really enjoy Red Lsbel as a sipping whisky. It is no where near as good as Black Label, but still very good. Also the burn level is well inside the tolerable range.
Your off on this one! Red is the #1 selling Scotch in the World! Pretty good on the rocks! I don't find the alcohol burn outside of ordinary! I like it! 😥
Budweiser is a really well selling beer. Doesnt make it good.
That being said. Enjoy it as long as you can
McDonald's is the largest restaurant chain in the world... Making it top tier gourmet?
Most people won't even acknowledge that there is smokiness to Johnny Red. It gets talked down on too often in my opinion. It's great in a highball with a noticeable amount of smoke. I like Johnny Black but Red is well worth the money. I disagree with this assessment.
JW Red is what it is. It's not "Bad", it's a scotch whiskey meant for cocktails...I'm not going to make a Rob Roy with any of JW's higher priced blends.
I am a beginning whiskey drinker and i didn't like JWRL before i knew it was bad. It's pure alcohol in my mouth.
So, Trader Joe's sells a $10 a bottle "Blended Scotch Whiskey" that's a little less nasty than I remember JWR being, but has a similar overall flavor. Be warned or intrigued as suits your need.
+Eric Jacobson I'm going to go with intrigued
The Whiskey Dic Here in Croatia we have a $10 per bottle "Canadian Special Old" whiskey which, when mixed with coke, I actually prefer over the Red Label.
I get a subtle smoke odor. green apple note followed by a slight caramel and maybe a hint of raison. On taste i get the Smokey spicy rich sweet sugary taste also a very light oak flavor. In my opinion this is a delicious whiskey. Its not a lingering after taste either.
+wildernessman I'm impressed you got anything good out of this guy. Good for you. I tried but simply didn't love jt
The Whiskey Dic... i do like this as a sipping whiskey. I have had some that are a bit more pricy and do a little better on taste but this one is a nice tasting low budget whiskey.
Let's just get this over with 🤣🤣🤣🥃
Serious question - which is worse, JWR or proper twelve?
Tough question... I'd say it's a toss up
LOL !!! If you want it to appear to taste better to you, get some Black Velvet ( rotgut ) Canadian Whiskey for a couple bucks, then go back to the Johnnie Walker Red Label. It might not be as bad then. Seriously I do prefer Johnnie Walker Black Label to Red Label but I don't find it offensive. It's not a favorite but it is palatable to me. There is a unique butterscotch flavor I get out of it that is not present in the Black Label. The strong alcohol scent doesn't bother me.
Funny you say that. I did an episode on Black Velvet as well. I ended up giving the bottle away to a friend who enjoyed it. Good suggestion though!
Now it makes sense. It mixes ok, but really shouldn't be had neat. One of my first forays into whiskey.
+Mark Ferrer Yup. I know they dont advertise as a neat whiskey, but i think any whiskey should hold up without tasting terrible.
Now we know what to get you for Xmas!
Um... Macallan M? :)
Yes! Obviously not JW red! Great and funny video.
I knew that couldn't possibly be your suggestion!
Definitely not. I'm not much for the 'Jack ń Coke' thing, but if a whisky can't be enjoyed neat, do it! Real cocktails like an 'Old fashioned' is a different deal but even then don't use some really nice whisky for those.
But... your first two options looked so much more promising! Why did you drink the third? Why???
+Anne Elise Morrigan Too many previous takes and my judgement was impared!
Don’t understand why everyone loves to shit on Jonny Walker red. I think it’s pretty good. And you can’t beat the price.
+Alex Sinnott It's acceptable as a mixer, but that's only because you can't taste it
yeah well red label was intended as a mixer, i thought everyone already knew that
intended as a mixer seems like a bad cop out. ive never seen scotch used as mixer. if youre mixing it with cola i dont think the taste even matters at that point. and the price can be beat. i think its kind of the budweiser of whiskies, its bad (id argue in both cases worse than absolute bottom shelf) but people think its good because it costs a few bucks more than bottom shelf and has clever marketing.
you are currently looking at scotch thats intended as a mixer xD @@adamnoturfuknbusiness2367
Johnnie walker red was my first experience with a blended scotch. Absolutely horrible.
Black label is light years better.
Well it’s better then jack Daniel no7
I disagree, but that's personal preference
The Whiskey Dic well last time I had no7 was more then 15 years ago I’ll try it again and compare,
This is the highest selling whiskey in the world.
+Steve Walther That is correct. And Budweiser is one if the best selling beers in the world too. Doesnt make it good.
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Your drinking it wrong...lol...
I think the Whiskey Dic is biased :/
Not biased. Just not a fan if JW Red and decided to make it funny :)
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Isn't that what bias is? Not liking something
I actually enjoy Red on its own. It smells one way and tastes another, and that contrast holds my interest more then some other whiskies I've tried.
+Lorand Deka You may enjoy the Amadore I just put out a review on
My grandfather used to drink Johnnie Walker red meat three shots at a time . When I was five I was hiding behind his chair , he set his cup of scotch down and I promptly drank it . My mom found me in the corner passed out after I cut my own hair .
That's hilarious
I think it's a great mixer and okay neat. A bit rough, but a nice smokey flavor.
lol I actually like red label. On the rocks with a splash of water for me.
+Ronald Stonecipher To each their own. Honestly, the whole thing has become a joke with my channel at this point
I see. It keeps me honest, I won’t drink it too fast. Because, you can’t. Lol
I got some two days ago and it was the first scotch I've ever had. I drink cheap whiskeys, like ten high, R&R, Canadian Mist etc. But I'd not yet had scotch. I don't mind the red at all, just on ice. I'll get black label next. I didn't want to drop forty bucks in case I didn't like it. 27 dollars for the red was okay. Looking forward to the black label.
It's def a mixer. A few more bucks and the quality you can get goes way up.
Don't apologize, brother. Drink what YOU like, everyone else can go F themselves.
Johnnie Walker Red Label has become my second favorite Whiskey. Blackened Whiskey is my favorite whiskey. Red Label's flavors grow on you as you get used to mixing it correctly with Pepsi or Coke. I don't smell a burn in mine, I smell a ton of caramel, apple and honey. Everyone's taste buds are different. Take Care Man.
Ha Ha Ha - this was so funny ... watched it for the first time after you did the JW Blue... but JW Red actually started my Whisky journey 4 years ago... so I must give it some credit... don't think I can even try it anymore...
I think a lot of people are in your situation. I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
The Red Label is the worst whisky I have ever tried, the worst. Do not buy it especially when you can find something like the Teacher's Highland Cream in the same price range.
I agree with this review. I also bought a small bottle on good discount and I found only alcohol and smoke there. Was a big disappointment. Totally waste of money.
Well it was good enough for Superman once upon a time so...
XD
Bruh that intro killed me. Please make shitting on red label all the time a thing
Hot summer day, by the pool, good friends, JWR on heavy ice. You could do worse. Drinking it neat in the middle of winter is just masochistic. LOL
+Triplecap I suffer for my fans!
It’s meant to be mixed with ginger ale and lemon. It’s considered excellent by many people that way
You're talking about it like it's prison moonshine, JW Red isn't the best but you could do a lot worse
Can you suggest something that is a lot worse?
Yes you may do a lot worst but why bother when you can do much much better than this JW crap
I love the smell of Johnnie Walker Red. I am more of a cheap scotch person and I do enjoy sipping some Johnnie Walker Red alone once in a rare while. Hey, nobody has the same taste buds.
Yes JW Red is not a great whiskey. We all know that. But your near-snobbish review, thin with evidence, does a disservice to what is at least a decent whiskey that you actually compare to gasoline. I expect more from a whiskey channel.
I searched this up to see if someone had the same opinion because I’m a novice. Thank goodness I’m not. Johnnie walker red tastes like rubber and ass. It’s literally the worst alcohol I have ever tasted ever.
Hah! For sure
While Red Label is marketed by Diageo as mix, it is not horrible neat. The nose is not great, but on the palate, it does have a pleasant smokiness which I believe is contributed to by the Talisker. It is smoky and green apple.
Any how, great review and keep the reviews comin'!
Jason Debly - good point, Jason. People should try Red Label with ginger ale and a couple of ice cubes- wonderful. The kick that some people find too much when drinking it neat, actually works well and balances the ginger ale (or cola if you prefer).
Jason Debly I 100% agree with you. Red label is absolutely pleasant on the palate. I enjoy Red label neat, sometimes with a few drops of water to open it up. At least Red label is better than the shit my country of Canada produces (with the exception of Forty creek)
+A.J. Smith Crown Royal isn't bad.
A.J. Smith... i tried to ad a little water to this whisky it really didn't open up much for me at all i found that the flavors enhanced as i let it stand in the glass for a moment. Give the glass a swirl before you finish it and the flavors will pop.
Johnnie Walker Red almost ruined me on scotch forever!! It was the first scotch I tried and it almost ruined me. It's horrible stuff!! I just can't believe anyone would make a scotch that terrible, ON PURPOSE!! I'm so glad I finally decided to press on and branch out to better scotches.
I agree tried it the other night horrible stuff, try Irish whisky its smoother on the pallet.
"The only thing that was wrong with him was... Johnny Walkers Red"
Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Poison Whiskey"
I can't drink this it's so hard and it's burning in my throat. Cheaper than this brand Antiquity is more soft and smoky flavour than this one
Red label is not as bad as you made to look and blue label is not as great as it made to look.
Both of those statements are true :)
red label was my unfortunate first brush with scotch, which only in the last year i've learned i love (my family and buddies mainly do bourbon). it was around three years ago when i was 21. my friend and i went to the liquor store, i was between jobs at the time (yet somehow managed to live in a freaking shwanky part of town) so suffice to say, he was buying. he has an older brother that told him that its "the good stuff" and i remember my friend saying to me as he picked it off the shelf that its "the good stuff". we went to his house and drank it with said brother and an additional friend. and yeah it basically is like gasoline, it tastes like if a 100 proof whisky was really bad except its 80 proof. have being told it was "the good stuff" i thought i hated pricey whisky. but im not mad at that; what im mad at is that it was a pint size bottle and we didnt finish it between basically three people (regardless god bless my friend and beggars cant be choosers etc.).
i got two or three pulls of this garbage and my buddy was being generous but perhaps not as much as he thought.
lifes funny, ya know?
That's a tough start. Being told JW Red is the good stuff
yes but i'm about to get benevolent revenge by introducing him to ardbeg 10 before he gets married to his mormon wife 'ere soon.
Lmao! I personally think it tastes like that medicine you spray on the back of your throat when it's sore... yeah, that's exactly what it taste like
Cloreseptic!
If you put a splash of raspberry ginger ale , you'll get the essent of the Johnny walker RED , I LOVE IT , AND you killed it , but yes it is rough to taken in straight, but so is wild turky , lol
I've never heard someone so sad saying "Cheers"......... 😆
Hah! Good point
Is my taste just broken? I find JWR easier to drink and less harsh than JD, Jameson and even Maker's Mark... Just started to get into whiskeys though and think I prefer scotches to bourbons.
The more you drink the more your tastes will change. It's like once you buy a $12 bottle of wine, it's hard to go back to a $4
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Yeah will be interesting to see. The other cheap whiskeys taste like nail polish to me. Found Jura is definitely my favourite so far :)
That's a solid choice...
Now put a shirt on, you're reminding me that I sit in a chair all day every day!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary hahahahha
Haha, we agree, I put my first comment before your video started! It’s almost as good as Crown Royal.
My first Johnnie Walker was Red Label. This happened to also be my first experience with what I call spirits - I won a 4.5 litre bottle in a raffle. It took me a year and a half to drink it and I still don't like it. In honour of my 41st birthday recently my Uncle broke out two small bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Better, but give me a nice single malt any day, grain whisky gives me a headache, no matter how little I consume.
A true alcoholic would drink it and smile - bad attitude !
JW is good for only one thing, removing paint from a wall and even then you can find better stuff for doing that, it’s just awful, truly awful
Lol I’ve tried black label and didn’t care for that, I can imagine red label. I have a bottle stocked for company but I will never open it.
Tastes not so bad but smells like some kind of cream you will get when you have illnes in your feet
How did I miss this comment!? This is hilarious!
weird how u don’t like it but half the bottles gone
+2tone crenshaw I had to try it a few times. I don't like it but I need to be fair. I ended up killing the bottle at some point. It may suck, but it's still whisky!
Hahaha
I agree with you. I’d rather have Jack Daniels or Evan Williams any day over this crap
Don't like red tastewise but TBH it always gets me hella drunk
Johnnie Walker Red put me off enjoying whisky for so many years...
I'm glad you came back!
ummm, that bottle is over 1/3 gone. I had a bottle of Johnson's whiskey on the bar for 20 years that didn't have that much missing.
+donnie fiechtner I had to drink some to give it a legit review. It's also a small bottle
Best intro, but damn, is it really that bad? Can you use it for mixing or something?
I read that Sir Winston Churchill drank JWR throughout the day, with champagne for breakfast , wine with meals, and brandy after dinner. But he drank it with soda. And he lived into his nineties. He also smoked 20 cigars a day. Yeesh.
That's true. I saw all of that as well while researching this video. Imagine how long he'd have lived without all those vices!
JW red label tastes like cheap vodka trying to impersonate scotch.
ilove red label and i love this video... thank you whiskey dic :D :D
Trash and gasoline is imo a pretty accurate description of the scotch, it's not good and not really even an entry-level scotch, that would maybe be the Black Label, Highland Park 12, Glenfiddich 12 or Macallan 12. But my favorite right now would either be the Lagavulin 16 or Laphroaig QC/10 y/o.
Interesting fact. I recently had a small party. Had beer...single malt...and Johnny Red...at the end of the party, all the red was gone. Few beers left and plenty of Arbeg and Tomotin left. Couldn't get anyone interested in single malt. Lol...more for me...
It makes sense. It's approachable and I'd bet a lot of those people mixed with it.
Sounds to me, like you have a lot of potential converts!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Many people just can't drink anything 80 proof out of the bottle. Just way too strong. Beer and wine sells. And you mix red with Club Soda not Coke...lol
For a mixer I prefer red label. Neat or iced black label.
I have noted you always give the stink eye to JW Red. What really got you so miffed about it? I sure don’t have a good palate for whiskey like you have but the dozen bottles I hAve consumed over 68 years never gave me such a reaction? Did an old girl friend always buy you a bottle for your birthday?
Really it is not THAT bad. Momma Cass’s bath water?
You act as if it was the only whiskey in the world you would not partake.
Help me understand.
I gave my brother in law a bottle of Oban and something must have happened because it had no resemblance to whiskey at all. It was like furniture polish laced with turpentine. We could not drink it. Maybe it got messed up at the distillery. I wish it had been JW Red.
I'm glad you asked Paul. Honestly? Its offputting for me, but it's become it's own joke at this point. I dont like it, but I've had worse whisky.
If I had to pick anything though it's that lots of people try JWR as their first whisky and think that's what it all tastes like then dont drink it again.
It's like Jose Cuervo is to tequila.
Over four years, and this still is your best review, mate. Gotta love that nostalgia.
Hah! Thanks. I think about it a lot
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Don't we all, especially during times like these. Keep up the good work, mate!
Thanks! And thanks for watching
He walked......pun intended......into this review with a pre-conceived opinion of Red. This is not an objective review. I do however believe that Red has become much more average over the years. I got hold of a small bottle of red from my mother in law that would have been well over 10 years old, maybe more. It was much more complex and drinkable than any bottle purchased today.
I do all of my reviews prior to filming so I'm not umming and uhhhing on camera. My preconceived notions were earned
Yeah not my favourite either Bill🥃
oh sheeeeet i laughed so hard during the introoooooooo !!!
Jack Daniels better for mixing
Dude! I've watched a bunch of horj videos and am not used to such blatent humor. Intro was epic 👍😆
I'm psyched you liked it :) JW Red is still hot garbage to this day :) thanks for watching my stuff
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I've been subscribed for at least a year. I like the style of your videos, straight forward. Somehow your JW Blue vid came up and now I'm watching them all. Hope you're well!
Which is your favourite budget blended scotch? That will be interesting
I'd have to really think about it. I don't spend much time in that space honestly. JW Black stands out as ok... but don't think that would be my choice
Johnnie Walker Red is designed to be mixed. You should add some cold water.
Why not just drink water then? Much cheaper
I have the black and green. Both delicious. Bought the red once Tried it, then gave it away. Didn't even care to mix it.
+vanveenmatt The green is probably my favorite JW
Dic
Alex
I’m new to drinking whisky . So thanks for the advice . Keep it up 👍🏼
+Trudragon88 I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Cutty Sark blended scotch whisky is worlds better than Johnnie Walker red. Cutty is my go to for budget blended scotch, at about $15.99 here in Utah. It was a bit of a sleeper, being surprisingly complex. If I want to spend a bit more, a bottle of Monkey Shoulder at $27.99 is a steal for the money.
What is it about this that makes it so maligned by reviewers? I get that most people use this as a mixer for drinks that call for scotch rather than just to sip.
If you read about Red label on the site, it certainly sounds like they are presenting it as a quality product. A blend of about 30 single malts, and it sounds like they try to pick good ones.
Why is it so maligned? Are the whiskeys used in the blend just garbage whiskeys so you mix them up and it's one big mess? Does aging have to do with it? Are the whiskeys used in the blend good on their own and just don't work well together in the blend? What's going on here?
Whiskey SNOB !!! Johnny Red is one of the best selling blended Scotches in the world ! It is definitely a working mans drink..... but you compare it to garbage ? I'll choose Red as my everyday go to drink and will also choose another channel to get my reviews.
That's fine with me. I'd guess if you enjoy JW Red, you likely aren't getting much out of a Whisky Review channel
One of the worst Whiskey reviewers on UA-cam. Whiskey Dic is nothing more than a Whiskey Dick.
Zack Smith Bud Light is the most popular beer in America yet it taste like water and in some countries isn’t even classified as beer because it’s so watered down.
Popularity does NOT equal quality. The general population for whatever reason likes below average stuff.
I'm sorry you feel that way but hope you came to that conclusion off more than just this one video.
I got the leftover of a bottle of this, together with a very cheap, and I'm talking under 10 euros, bottle of whisky from my grandfather today. He said I should try them, but he warned me they were essentially garbage. I still gave it a shot and I agree with you. The Johnnie walker has an awful burn, especially if, like it was for me, it is one of your first times drinking whisky. The other was even worse, it was a local, knock off brand which had an even stronger burn and an awfully overwhelming burnt taste. I guess you could call it smokey, but it was way too overwhelming. I am far from a professional, but I know it's meant to have some kind of a taste, and those didn't have it. I will soon look into buying myself a good, softer bottle to try out, but so far, your videos have helped a lot. Thank you very much and keep up the great work! You've earned a new subscriber.
+Dr. Para Thanks Dr! Nowhere to go but up!
Ironic that you turn your nose at this, but not Jack Daniels
+kiri kili I don't drink Jack Daniels straight. I also have a soft spot for JD as it was my college booze.
Love the smokiness of Johnnie Red. Went through a full size bottle in no time at all. Jack Daniel's? Can't touch that stuff.
+Jeffry747 Normally I avoid JD unless I'm using it as a mixer. Most people do the same with JW red. I'm glad you enjoy an inexpensive whiskey... definitely better to drink cheaply!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Fully agree with the drinking cheaply. I too enjoy JW Red now as I think JB Rare is worse and more smokier. I love JW Red and Drambuie for a rusty nail.
#1 selling scotch...
Budweiser is a top selling beer. Doesnt make it good
I don’t care what other people say but I really enjoy drinking this shift neat
More power to you. You'll spend a lot less money than the rest of us :)
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I really enjoy your reviews 👍🏻 you’re doing a great job thank you
Review royal canadian canadian whiskey. From what I know, it's sold only in michigan and goes for about $13 a half-gallon.
When I was younger, and had no money, I drank plenty of the JW Red. I like it better then the Black for sure.
+Stankfinger1976 That's interesting. I hear a lot of people defend it as it is, but rarely do they say they like it better than the Black. Do you like other whisky?
The Whiskey Dic yes, many other scotches for sure. Later on in my late 20’s I started appreciating single malt scotch. When I turned 40, I tried Bourbon for the first time and was enamored with it. I’ve purchased several different brands of Bourbon over the last 6 months and have recently tried Rye Whiskey. The Bulleit Rye is a great budget Rye IMO. I found the Black Label had a funky bite to it that I did not enjoy at all.
I drink that straight for years mate...
I'm sorry to hear that
Lol, great intro
Why do people keep buying this one?
Habit I suppose
Pz mani
Johnnie Walker Red is what drove me to learn a little more about Whiskey. I took a bottle to a summer cookout, broke out the bottle and offered it to anyone who might want a taste. Absolutely no one took me up on my offer, some even turned their noses at free booze! I had no idea of why since it was tolerable to me. Now I have a better understanding. Thanks
Thats tough and I'm surprised nobody took you up on it. That must have sucked for you personally. I'm glad you've been exploring a bit more. One that I tell people to bring to a situation like that is some Glenlivet 12. Relatively inexpensive and pretty good
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary I viewed your video of Black Velvet, Johnnie Walker Red, and Proper No. 12, which lead me to reviewed all three again. Tactful and honest reviews based on your taste, stay that way. Thanks again
:(
My buddy and I were having a conversation about whiskies to try and you can tell we were going over the head of our other friend, who was listening and wanting to chime in, but didnt know anything. He said "I think you guys would enjoy JW Red" We turned at him and laughed cause he was being serious. lol
Black is far superior of a dram
without a doubt
fuckin hilarious intro man
Thanks! I had to cut a couple of my takes because I found myself laughing
Wanted to get aquainted with whiskey and tried this... Then I gave JWR a second try... These were the only 2 times I puked from alcohol
But Black label is too expensive so Red it is.
Old Smuggler is cheap and good.
heavyset0223 i got black for 25...
How is Black Label expensive? It's better to not drink whiskey at all if you only care for Red.
couldn't agree more the red is ruff as hell.
On point ;-) it's just BAD !
Even all these years later it's bad!
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary indeed hahahaha First time I had this when I was 17years old and from the first sip I was done :-) I told my friends , sorry I won't drink that...
Loved the joke at the begining 😂
Thanks! I still think about that occasionally:)
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary really good one, watching your review of jhonny walker black right now, i have a question: how would you rate bulleit vs woodford reserve?🤔
@@miagy420 I think he would prefer Woodford Reserve
Sorry I somehow missed this. Yes woodford for sure
@@TheWhiskeyDictionary Knew it ;-)