The title pretty much says it all. I’ve pretty much eschewed blends lately in favor of single malt scotches (primarily Macallan 12), but I tried some Johnnie Walker Black the other day, and damn, it was pretty frickin’ good!
So what say you, scotch aficionados? Am I suffering from unsophisticated palate syndrome, or is this stuff really on a par with single-malt scotches costing $15 to $20 a bottle more?
The black is a decent enough brew, but try the Blue - now that is a blend of the utmost quality 
As for me, I tend to be more of a single malt drinker, preferably something form the western Isles, Skye or Islay - with a preference for Laphroiag - however, when I feel like something a little less demanding I prefer the JW Blue, Green, Black or even Red Labels, as they are the only acceptable blends from Scotland, IMO. (And of course the Blue and Green are generally quite pricey)
So yes, JW Black is a perfectly acceptable whisky
Scotches are definitely a matter of personal palate - if you like JW Black then by all means drink it.
I’ve not tried it myself - for blends and mixing I’m a Jack Daniels man; for single malt I take a Lagavulin 16 or, if I want something sweeter and mellower, I’ve got some Glenfiddich in the cupboard. Can’t stand (or spell) Laphroiag - to me it has an iodine aftertaste that doesn’t sit well.
If you’re a plebe, then so am I.
Johnny Black is my scotch of choice.
There’s no objective measure of good scotch. Johnny Walker makes some excellent blends (Blue is especially good, Black is nice) but they generally go for a different taste than single malts. Nothing wrong with that, there are lots of single malts that people love that taste like dirt to me. If you like it, by all means, drink away. Just make sure you share.
Another single-malt drinker here who discovered just how good JW Black is. You might want to try Pinch, it is also very good, though a couple bucks more than Black.
Try The Macallan Cask Strength, then we’ll talk. 
Also, the Green label. I think that’s my favorite of the entire line. (Red, Black, Swing, Green, Gold, Blue). Well, if price is not object, then Blue would be my choice, but all things considered, Green is my Johnny Walker go-to. Green is also a “vatted malt” or “pure malt” meaning it’s made from all-malt whiskys without the additional of any grain whiskys. The classification laws have changed, so now it’s officially referred to as “blended,” but you’ll see that the label says “blended malt scotch whisky” as opposed to simply “blended whisky,” as the black has.
The Macallan 12 is great, especially if you’re a fan of Speyside malts, which tend to be sweeter, more floral, and seems to appeal to bourbon or sherry drinkers. But each region of Scotland is different, and have quite different flavor profiles. I tend to be more of a fan of the peaty Islay malts or some of the more peaty Highland malts (like from the Islands.) The Johnny Walker Green particularly appeals to me because it’s a blend of whiskys from the major whisky regions of Scotland, and has a nice balance between peat, sweet, floral, and salt.
At any rate, it’s worth trying to work your way around the map and find which flavors appeal most to you.
JW Black is a perfectly decent blended scotch. If you like it, by all means drink it without embarrassment. I like it well enough. I’m not a huge fan of the Red, although i’ll certainly drink it if nothing else is available.
JW Blue is wonderful, but I’m not sure if it is ~$150 a bottle wonderful.
JW Green, despite what was said upthread, isn’t that expensive at all - its about $50 a bottle. the Green label is a vatted whisky, meaning its a blend of malted whiskies but no grain whiskies (i.e. whisky produced from something other than barley malt). Its pretty good.
On edit, beaten to the punch by pulykamell!
Thanks for the good advice, everyone. I can foresee an expensive shopping trip coming up.
And Silenus, I keep intending to buy a bottle of cask strength Macallan but so far just never have. I don’t know why, it’s not like I’m afraid of it - I sip 128 proof Booker’s straight up with no problem at all. But I will eventually and I’ll be sure to get back to you when I do.
Thanks again for the good suggestions, guys. I learned quite a bit that I didn’t know about some of these other brands and other grades of JW and I’m anxious to give 'em a shot (so to speak).
Is Johnny Walker Black as good as the Macallan? Not by a longshot, not even close. They shouldn’t even be shelved in the same aisle. But then, I really don’t care for any of the JW’s.
What is worth your looking into is Cardhu, which I’m surprised no one’s mentioned yet. Then again. I haven’t seen it anywhere in at least twenty years…
I really like JW Blue, I like Black, but I can’t stand Green. Different squids for different kids. I mostly drink single malts but won’t turn down a nice blended scotch.
I like JW Black and Chivas 12 about equally. JW Gold is a step up from Black, and not that much more expensive (last I went looking, I picked up a couple of bottles for around $55). I’ve had Blue and didn’t feel it was worth it, I’d rather have a top notch single malt for that price (like a Macallan 18).
Macallan Cask Strength though, that’s my drink of choice where I can get it (with about half an ice cube in it - borderline heresy but I like it a tad cut and a tad chilled, so sue me!)
I have a bottle of JW Blue. Haven’t opened it yet, because I rarely ‘drink’. I used to like Laphroaig 10. But then I had Laphroaig 15. The ten-year-old isn’t as good anymore. My friend and I drank JW Red and Black & White on the 4th of July weekend. We liked the JW Red better than the other (which I had to try because Cary Grant drank it in Father Goose).
I dropped in with the same recommendation and complaint.
I have a bottle of each, and although I knew which way I’d come out, I just poured each and tasted.
To each his own, but no – I don’t think JW Black is in the same ballpark. The nose is flat, and dominated by honey and malt. Sweet taste, honey and a touch of vanilla, but more than a hint of harsh grain. Weak sherry finish.
For a blend, it’s fine. But placed up against a great Speyside like Macallan’s 12 year, it’s just sorely lacking. The Macallan I’m sipping now to confirm: butter and sherry on the nose, and with a couple of drops of distilled water, the sherry really firms up and a hint of figs or nuts is there as well. Citrus and honey taste, very complex with a hint of the wood. And the finish resolves that wood into a light oak, with a touch of wine.
I really don’t like any of the blends. JW blue is good but as someone pointed out above it ain’t $150 good.
Cardhu is available in the Hong Kong Duty Free Stores. Unfortunately, I don’t go to HK once or twice a month any more or I would try it.
Oh, yeah; that’s right! How are you settling in?
Very good, guys. This is kind of what I was expecting. I haven’t had the Macallan in a while but it seemed to me the Black was pretty similar in flavor…certainly much more so than any other blend I’ve had in a while. But frankly, I’ve been reluctant to crack open my bottle of Macallan and compare them directly for fear that the delight I’ve found in the JW Black will evaporate as soon as I do. In other words, I’ve been so happy to find a relatively inexpensive blend that seems close to the Macallan in flavor that I’ve been reluctant to try to try the real thing and experience the difference firsthand. How schmucky is that?
So I guess that I’m faced with a decision. Either keep drinking the JW Black which I’m perfectly happy with so long as I don’t drink my beloved Macallan 12, which I’d hate to give up, or forget the whole idea and go back to the Macallan and continue my exploration of other single-malts as well.
Decisions, decisions…
(And Bricker, would that I had your olfactory gifts! Seriously though, perhaps this is why I’m not quite the connoisseur that I’d like to be - my sense of smell has just never been all that acute. “Notes” of things are pretty much lost on me, with overall flavor and finish being what I ultimately take away from a drink. Perhaps this is why I felt the JW Black comparable to the Macallan in the first place. To me, JW Black is weaker, smoother and somewhat sweeter than the Macallan, but still very similar in terms of overall flavor, just not quite as refined. Unfortunately I don’t seem able to parse what I’m drinking as finely as you, which is my loss.)
But thanks again, everyone, for your input. All things considered, I think the Macallan Cask Strength with perhaps a splash of water will be my next experiment. I doubt that I’ll be disappointed.