Do we like them?

Do we like Johnnie Walker?

Blended Scotch whisky brand (Red, Black, Blue Label and others), made by Diageo, which is based in London.

Our score: 5 out of 10. A famous brand with a long record, but its owner Diageo has paid several regulatory settlements and fines. Alcohol harm is built into the product. We'd hold back.

Johnnie Walker is Scotch whisky's best-known blend, and it belongs to Diageo, the London-listed drinks giant that also owns Guinness. These days the news about the brand is mostly marketing, with celebrity tie-ups and limited-edition packs.

Diageo has a long history of regulators catching it out. In 2011 it agreed to pay about $16.4m over allegations that its subsidiaries bribed officials in India, Thailand and South Korea, and the SEC had accused it of paying more than $2.7m in bribes.

In 2016 Diageo paid $5m to settle SEC charges that it pushed distributors to take excess inventory. It neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing. Separately, it was fined £537,000 after a worker was badly burned at its Glenlossie distillery in 2021.

There's new leadership: Sir Dave Lewis, ex-Tesco boss, became Diageo CEO on 1 January 2026, taking over from Debra Crew. We'd call it a mixed bag, so a middling score.