# Johnnie Walker Green Label **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809 "2004-08-07T20:34:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/1 "2004-08-07T20:34:29Z")
Here in the United States, we can buy Johhnie Walker Scotch in four “styles”: Red, Black, Gold, and Blue label. These are all blends, with the main differencce, AFAIK, being the age of the whiskies involved. We took a trip to London last year, and on the way back I bought “The Johhnie Walker Collection” at the duty-free shop. It consists of four 200mL bottles of whisky: Black, Gold, Blue, and **Green** label. My previous knowledge of the Greel Label came from exactly two sources: 1) a friend who had purchased the same “gift pack” a year earlier, and 2) the Jimmy Buffet song _He Went to Paris_ (Now he lives in the islands, fishes the pilin’s; And drinks his green label each day). So now I have a bottle, or at least what’s left of one, and I am still left with two unanswered questions: What exactly is it, and why can’t I get it here? As to the first question: The label says “Pure Malt Scotch Whisky”, and the word “blended” appears nowhere that I can see. So is “Pure Malt” the same thing as “Single Malt”? Or is there some subtle difference? And why can’t I get it here? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/2 "2004-08-07T21:01:23Z")
Johnny Walker Green Label is what is called a “vatted malt.” It is not a single-malt, as it contains whiskies from several different distilleries. Neither is it a blend, because it contains no grain neutral spirits. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/3 "2004-08-07T21:53:49Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Johnny Walker Green Label is what is called a “vatted malt.” It is not a single-malt, as it contains whiskies from several different distilleries. Neither is it a blend, because it contains no grain neutral spirits. To be a little more precise, a blended Scotch contains grain whiskey and malt whiskey. Grain whiskey is made from either wheat, corn, or barley, and must be aged in oak barrels for three years (according to UK law.) Alcohol made from potatoes or melasse is a no-no for whisky blends. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/4 "2004-08-08T04:33:03Z")
A few liquor stores near me in South Jersey carry Green Label. It’s usually around $60. ---
**Author:** ![Paulies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Paulies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paulies)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/5 "2004-08-08T04:51:24Z")
They sell it in Brooklyn NY for $49.99. Same price as gold label. It does say single malt wiskey on the label. **Silenus** why would you think it’s “vatted malt?” It is not called green label though. But the label is green. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/6 "2004-08-08T04:54:45Z")
That’s what the Johhny Walker site says. That’s what Michael Jackson’s _Guide to Whiskey_ says. That’s what every reference book on whiskey I have in the house says. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/7 "2004-08-08T18:01:27Z")
My green label bottle says “Pure Malt,” not Single Malt. Also, I’ve never seen Gold Label that cheap. An impromptu trip to my grandmothers in Brooklyn may be in order. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/8 "2004-08-08T19:54:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > To be a little more precise, a blended Scotch contains grain whiskey and malt whiskey. Grain whiskey is made from either wheat, corn, or barley, and must be aged in oak barrels for three years (according to UK law.) Alcohol made from potatoes or melasse is a no-no for whisky blends. i’m still a little confused. what is green lable made from? Potatoes? ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/9 "2004-08-08T20:58:04Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > i’m still a little confused. what is green lable made from? Potatoes? Malted barley…from several distilleries. (If it was a BLEND, it could have alcohol from other grains). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/10 "2004-08-08T21:14:32Z")
Here [Johnnie Walker Green Label](http://www.internetwines.com/rws29055.html) > [@](#): > > Finally available in the United States! Johnnie Walker Green Label differs from its multicolored brethren in that it is a vatted malt containing only single malt scotches. This is a must have for any fan of Johnnie Walker [Here’s a (not favorable) review -JOHNNIE WALKER GREEN LABEL 15 YEAR OLD EXTRA SPECIAL SINGLE MALT WHISKEY](http://www.reviewcentre.com/review33709.html) [Some other malts](http://www.maltwhiskey.com/html/othermalts.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/11 "2004-08-13T02:07:12Z")
Thanks all for the info. The fight against ignorance has had another victory today (I know it’s only Scotch, but then again, it is _ **Scotch** _). But I’m still a bit confused; are you saying that Blended Scotch might contain grains _other than barley_? Oh well, I’m generally a Single Malt man anyway. As for the Green Label, I’m not sure I want to spend $50-$70 for a bottle; I think I’ll stick with my Glenlivet for now. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/12 "2004-08-13T02:41:07Z")
Yep. Blends are just that…blends. Technically, you don’t know _what_ they are throwing in there. If you drink Glenlivet, what in Ghu’s name are you asking about a _blend_ for? Topical antiseptic? 😃 I know, I know…I read the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/13 "2004-08-13T03:15:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yep. Blends are just that…blends. Technically, you don’t know _what_ they are throwing in there. > > If you drink Glenlivet, what in Ghu’s name are you asking about a _blend_ for? Topical antiseptic? 😃 > > I know, I know…I read the OP. By UK law, a blend must contain grain whiskey, not any neutral spirit. A grain whiskey must be made from grain (corn, barley, or wheat, as I said), and aged in oak barrels for three years. It’s not just any kind of alcohol. > [@](#): > > Whisky from unmalted grains in produced in a higher strength than malt whisky from pot stills. It contains less esters which are responsible for the aroma. Grain whisky tastes more neutral. But taboo is neutral alcohol from potatoes or melasse. The British government allows only alcohol from grains to be called whisky, if it has matured more than three years in oak wood. The age of the grain whisky also counts for the age on the label of the bottle. [From here.](http://www.thewhiskystore.de/beginner/blend.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dflynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@dflynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dflynn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnnie-walker-green-label/258809/14 "2022-05-28T01:01:36Z")
Side note on the Jimmy Buffet song “ He went to Paris.” The Green Label line always stood out to me but I don’t think it was in relation to Johnnie Walker Green Label as that line didn’t come out until 20 years ago and the song is almost fifty years old. More likely, he was referring to Jack Daniels Green Label Tennessee’s whiskey that pre-dated the Johnnie Walker version and since the song is referencing living in Florida is more fitting.