Johnnie Walker Black Label is the bottle most people have tried, been given, or inherited from a relative’s drinks cabinet. It is the world’s reference point for blended Scotch, a 12-year-old built on creamy grain whisky, Speyside fruit, and a wisp of Islay smoke from Caol Ila.
The trouble is, once you have finished the bottle and you want to try something new, the supermarket shelf can feel overwhelming. Here are three bottles worth knowing about next.
Liked the Smoke? Try Big Peat
The smoky finish on Black Label comes mainly from Caol Ila, the Islay distillery that supplies Johnnie Walker.
Big Peat takes that same Caol Ila character and pushes it to the front of the glass, blending it with three more of the island’s most coveted malts: Ardbeg for earthy weight, Bowmore for balance, and the closed and now near-mythical Port Ellen for a touch of elegance.
Made by Glasgow independent bottler Douglas Laing since 2009, it is a 100% Islay blended malt, no grain whisky in the bottle at all.
It is also bottled at a punchier 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, which means more of the oily, smoky character makes it to the palate. Expect tar, bonfire smoke, sea air and a sweet malty undercurrent.6 Best Value Scotch Whiskies to Buy in 2026
Around $48 (£38.75).
Liked the Fruit and Spice? Try Naked Malt
The dark fruit and baking spice running through Black Label come from its time in European oak sherry casks. Naked Malt isolates that flavour and doubles down on it.
It is a 100% blended malt, no grain whisky, finished for at least six months in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts, which gives it buttery toffee, stewed fruit and a rich, spiced finish.
There is also a bit of industry news worth knowing. Edrington, the owner of The Macallan, sold Naked Malt to William Grant & Sons in a deal cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority in March 2025.
That puts it in the same stable as Monkey Shoulder, which means wider distribution and serious investment behind the brand are likely to follow.
Around $35 (£26.95), genuinely hard to beat at the price.
Want to Spend a Bit More? Try Johnnie Walker Green Label 15
If you want a clear upgrade without straying far from familiar territory, Johnnie Walker already makes one.
Green Label keeps the family resemblance to Black but drops the grain whisky entirely, jumps to a 15-year age statement and bottles at a slightly stronger 43% ABV.
It is built from four single malts: Talisker from Skye for maritime pepper, Caol Ila for the familiar earthy smoke you already know from Black, and Cragganmore and Linkwood for Speyside fruit and floral depth. The result is richer, maltier and more layered than Black Label, with the same smoky thread running through it.
It was actually discontinued in 2012 and brought back in 2016 after years of consumer pressure, one of the few modern whiskies revived by demand alone.
Around $65 (£43–£48).
Black Label is a brilliant starting point, but the world of blended Scotch has moved on a long way since it became the benchmark. Whether you chase the smoke, the sherry or the age statement, there is a bottle out there that will make the next pour a genuine step up.
Read the full article at Love Johnnie Walker Black Label? Here Are Three Bottles to Try Next
