Johnnie Walker might be the most recognizable name in Scotch whisky. But brand recognition does not answer the real question many drinkers ask: Which Johnnie Walker is actually the best?
Marketing, price tags, and consumer rankings often point in different directions. So, instead of asking what people think, we decided to use a measurable metric and take a look at which Johnnie Walker whiskies are the most awarded.
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We analyzed six years of global medal results from four of the world’s most respected spirits competitions, and reviewed every core expression from 2020 through 2025.
The result is a definitive ranking of every current core Johnnie Walker expression based strictly on competition performance.
Methodology: How We Ranked Johnnie Walker
Before we get to the rankings, here is exactly how this list was built.
We analyzed global medal results from 2020 through 2025 across four major competitions:
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- International Wine & Spirit Competition
- International Spirits Challenge
- World Whiskies Awards
These competitions use blind tastings with professional judging panels. Medal criteria are published by each organization.
What We Counted
- Global medals only
- Core range expressions only
- 2020 through 2025 results
- One medal per expression per competition per year
What We Excluded
- Regional heat awards
- Country level category winners
- Cocktail or Highball categories
- Limited editions
- Duplicate SKUs or gift pack variants
If an expression did not win a medal in a given year, that year counted as zero.
Scoring System
To keep things transparent and consistent, we assigned points as follows:
- Double Gold: 4 points
- Gold: 3 points
- Silver: 2 points
- Bronze: 1 point
No adjustments were made for price, age statement, or reputation.
This ranking reflects medal performance only. It does not measure value, popularity, or personal preference.
It is also worth mentioning that some competitions, like the IWSC and WWA, do not have ‘Double Gold’ medals. Instead, there are category winners or trophies. So as not to confuse the ranking, these have been discounted.
Now, let’s get to the results.
The Results At A Glance
| Rank | Expression | Double Gold | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total Points |
| 1 | Double Black | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 36 |
| 2 | Blue Label | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 35 |
| 3 | Black Label | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 34 |
| 4 | Gold Label Reserve | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 33 |
| 5 | Johnnie Walker 18 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 29 |
| 6 | Red Label | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 23 |
| 7 | Green Label | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| 8 | Black Ruby | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
The Ranking: Every Johnnie Walker From 8 to 1
#8. Johnnie Walker Black Ruby
6 Points
Black Ruby sits at the bottom of the ranking with six total points.
All of its medals come from Silver wins. It earned Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2025, Silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2025, and Silver at the International Spirits Challenge in 2025.
It did not medal at the World Whiskies Awards during this period.
That gives it four total medals across the four competitions, all at Silver level. Respectable, but without a Gold or Double Gold breakthrough, it remains well behind the rest of the range. Given a few more years, perhaps Black Ruby will make a splash at these competitions.
#7 (Tie). Johnnie Walker Green Label
23 Points
Green Label finished with 23 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it won Double Gold in 2022 and Gold in 2023.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it earned Gold in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it secured Gold in 2022 and Bronze in 2023.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it won Gold in 2020.
Green Label’s performance is solid, particularly at ISC and SFWSC. However, its overall medal count and lack of repeat Double Gold finishes place it behind the top tier.
This is interesting because Johnnie Walker Green Label has achieved cult status amongst many whisky drinkers. As a blended malt, it is also in a different style to the rest of the Johnnie Walker range. Perhaps this medal performance is a reflection of Green Label’s status amongst other blended malts? This just goes to show, however, that you cannot always trust the awards.
#6 (Tie). Johnnie Walker Red Label
23 Points
Red Label also finished on 23 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it earned Double Gold in 2021, plus Silver in 2020 and 2023.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it won Gold in 2020 and 2021, and Silver in 2023.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it secured Silver in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it won Bronze in 2020.
Red Label does not dominate any single competition, but it shows consistent mid-tier medal performance across all four.
The Double Gold for Red Label is particularly interesting, as its perception as the entry point to the Johnnie Walker range, and its reputation for being sharp and quite harsh, jars with this result.
Red Label might not be the most technically complex whisky, but it clearly still performs well in competition.
#5. Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old
29 Points
Johnnie Walker 18 collected 29 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it won Gold in 2021 and Double Gold in both 2023 and 2024. It also secured Silver in 2020.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it earned Gold in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it won Gold in 2022 and Silver in 2023 and 2024.
It did not medal at the World Whiskies Awards during this period.
That record shows repeated Gold and Double Gold performance at SFWSC, plus steady recognition at ISC and IWSC.
#4. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
33 Points
Gold Label Reserve finished on 33 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it earned Silver in 2020, Gold in 2022, and Double Gold in both 2023 and 2024.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it won Gold in 2020, 2021, and 2024, and Silver in 2023.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it secured Silver in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and Bronze in 2024.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it won Bronze in both 2021 and 2022.
Gold Label shows broad consistency across all four competitions, even if it does not top the leaderboard.
#3. Johnnie Walker Black Label
34 Points
Black Label earned 34 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it won Double Gold in 2020, Gold in 2022 and 2024, and Silver in 2023.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it secured Gold in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it won Gold in 2022 and Silver in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it earned Bronze in 2020.
Black Label does not rely on a single standout year. Instead, it shows consistent medal presence across all four competitions.
Often considered the reliable workhorse of the Johnnie Walker range, Black Label is of consistent quality. It is approachable, affordable, and genuinely one of the best-loved whiskies in the world.
#2. Johnnie Walker Blue Label
35 Points
Blue Label finished second with 35 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it won Gold in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and Bronze in 2020.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it earned Gold in 2020 and 2021, and Silver in 2023 and 2024.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it secured Gold in 2022 and Silver in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it won Gold in both 2020 and 2021.
Blue Label has one of the highest total medal counts in the dataset and strong cross-competition consistency. For many, however, its quality still does not justify its £180+ price tag.
#1. Johnnie Walker Double Black
36 Points
Double Black tops the ranking with 36 points.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it won Double Gold in 2020, 2023, and 2024, and Silver in 2022.
At the International Spirits Challenge, it earned Gold in 2020, 2023, and 2024, and Double Gold in 2021.
At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, it secured Silver in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
At the World Whiskies Awards, it won Gold in 2020.
Double Black combines multiple Double Gold wins at SFWSC with strong ISC performance, giving it the highest overall score.
What The Data Actually Tells Us
Several patterns emerge from the finalized totals.
First, the leader is not the most expensive bottle. Double Black finishes first, followed closely by Blue Label and Black Label.
Second, strong SFWSC and ISC performances correlate closely with higher total points. The top three whiskies all show repeated Gold and Double Gold finishes in those competitions.
Third, mid-range expressions are highly competitive. Gold Label Reserve and 18 YO both show consistent medal performance across multiple competitions.
Awards do not determine personal preference. But they do provide a structured measure of how each whisky performs in blind professional judging.
Do Awards Decide Which Johnnie Walker Is Best?
Not entirely.
Awards reflect performance in blind tastings under defined scoring systems. They do not account for price, brand perception, or individual taste.
This ranking does not tell you what to buy. It shows how each core expression performed across four competitions between 2020 and 2025.
If you define “best” by total medal performance, Double Black comes out on top.
If you define it differently, your answer may change.
Final Thoughts
The data challenges simple assumptions about price and prestige.
Double Black leads. Blue Label follows closely. Black Label remains highly competitive.
Awards do not replace personal taste. But they offer a consistent benchmark across multiple judging panels and years.
Based on six years of competition results, the judges have made their decision.
Now it is your turn.
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