Johnnie Walker Red Label is one of the top-selling whiskies across the globe, but is it good? Discover everything about it in this in-depth review.
Table of Contents
- Red Label tasting notes: How does it taste?
- Does the Red Label taste good?
- Is Johnnie Walker Red Label a good whisky?
- Is it top-shelf?
- Is the Red Label peaty?
- Is Red Label good for beginners?
- How to drink Johnnie Walker Red Label?
- Johnnie Walker Red Label & Coke
- Does it mix with ginger ale?
- Johnnie Walker Red Label with water?
- Red Label alcohol percentage
- How is the Red Label made?
- Johnnie Walker Red Label alternatives
- Is it a single malt?
- Is it a bourbon?
- Gluten Free?
- How many calories does the Red Label have?
- Is it kosher?
- Keto-friendly?
- Does the Red Label expire?
- Johnnie Walker Red Label prices
- Johnnie Walker Red Label Cheat Sheet
Red Label tasting notes: How does it taste?
The nose hits you with a spicy blast at first, followed by a leathery note and nail polish.
On the palate, the Red Label has a thin body, is warm and hits you with spice and pepper providing a not pretty mouthfeel. There is some butterscotch coming behind, along a leathery note and tobacco.
The finish is short, which is a good thing as you do not want to extend the pain, it’s also warm and peppery.
Does the Red Label taste good?
Not a good sipper
The Red Label is not a good sipper, the flavor is too peppery and boozy providing a bad experience.
It gets better when served on a high ball as mineral water tunes down the heat and spice, which is not a great achievement as everything gets better when served in a highball.
Overall, the Red Label is not a good whisky and the cheapest and worst Johnnie Walker label, this is not something I would recommend neither to newbies or for those who value a smooth dram.
Is Johnnie Walker Red Label a good whisky?
No
Popular is not synonymous with good and this is the case with the Red Label which has unpleasant flavor notes making a bad Scotch.
It gets better when drowned in soda in a Highball but for the price you could definitely do better.
Not even Superman can handle the Red Label’s bad flavor!
Is it top-shelf?
Bottom dweller
The Red Label is the most basic release in the Johnnie Walker lineup serving primarily as a whisky for mixed drinks where it becomes bearable.
Is the Red Label peaty?
Not much
The Red Label has a very light peat note that you are unlikely to find behind black pepper which is the main driver in this whisky.
Is Red Label good for beginners?
No
Too harsh and peppery providing a bad intro to whisky to newbies.
Stick to whiskies such as Dewar’s or the Famous Grouse which is the best-selling whisky in Scotland!
How to drink Johnnie Walker Red Label?
Highball
The best way of drinking this whisky is in a Highball as soda hides its shortcomings providing an acceptable cocktail.
It als drinks nicely with Red Bull!
Johnnie Walker Red Label & Coke
Not the best
Look into my roundup with the best whiskies and bourbons to mix with Coke where you will find better stuff to drink it with cola.
Does it mix with ginger ale?
Yes, it mixes nicely
Yes, you can make a nice home cocktail with ginger ale. Ginger ale drowns the Red Label’s warmth and peppery notes making it quite good.
This cocktail is quite easy to make as it does not require a Phd in mixology.
Johnnie Walker Red Label with water?
Water makes it better
Adding a dash of water makes it better as it releases a bit of caramel while tuning down the pepper making it easier to drink.
Red Label alcohol percentage
80 proof (40% ABV)
The Red Label is bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV), the minimum at which Scotch whisky is bottled according to the rules that govern Scotch whisky.
How is the Red Label made?
Blend of 30 whiskies made from malt and grains
The Johnnie Walker Red Label is a blend of 30 whiskies made in several distilleries across Scotland.
We do not know the exact names and percentages of the whiskies used in the blend but it is comprised by single malt and grain whiskies with no age statement.
Johnnie Walker Red Label alternatives
Black Label
The Black Label makes the best alternative to the Red Label as it provides a polished and more mature whisky.
Other whiskies or whiskeys to consider are Jameson that mixes incredibly well with everything, Dewar’s which is the best-selling Scotch in the United States, along the Monkey Shoulder.
Is it a single malt?
No, this is a blend
No, Johnnie Walker is not a single malt but a blend of single malt and grain whiskies in undisclosed amounts.
To be labeled as a single malt a whisky has to be made entirely from malted barley and crafted at a single distillery; the Red Label does not check the boxes.
Is it a bourbon?
Bourbons can only made in the U.S.
No, the Red Label is not a bourbon but a Scotch blend. To be labeled as a bourbon a spirit has to be made using at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels and made in the United States.
Gluten Free?
Red Label is gluten free
According to Diageo, Johnnie Walker parent company, the Red Label is gluten-free, however it is not certified gluten-free.
How many calories does the Red Label have?
108 per shot
As long as you drink it neat or rocks on average, a 1.5oz (44ml) shot of whiskey contains about 108 calories. Once you add fruity juices or Coke things get murky.
Is it kosher?
The Red Label is Kosher
Yes, the Johnnie Walker Black Label complies with kosher regulations so you are good to go.
Keto-friendly?
This whisky is Keto-friendly
The Red Label is keto friendly as net carbs are 0% of calories per serving, at 0g per serving.
Does the Red Label expire?
No, alcohol does not expire if stored correctly
From my experience, spirits do not expire and can remain in the bottle for ages as long as you store it in a cool place away from the sunlight.
The tricky part is that once opened they remain good but once you have 25% of the liquor left I suggest you finish it ASAP.
I have no scientific explanation for this but I have lost some precious drams for not adhering to this principle.
Johnnie Walker Red Label prices
CountryPriceUnited States$30Canada$35Great Britain£21Australia$45Johnnie Walker Red Label Cheat Sheet
Type of WhiskyScotch BlendAge statementNAProof80ABV40%Is it good?NoIs it top-shelf?NoDoes it expire?NoSweet?ModeratelyWarm?YesPeaty?Very lightlyGood for beginners?NoGood for cocktails?HighballsGood with Coke?Not the bestCalories per shot108Gluten-freeYesKeto-friendlyYesKosherYesJ Highland
I am a bar and liquor shop owner in Oaxaca, Mexico where I have tasted hundreds of different spirits; perhaps more than I should!