Johnnie Walker vs The Macallan:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Johnnie Walker had more branded searches than The Macallan among whisky brands worldwide. Johnnie Walker had about 368,000 branded searches, while The Macallan had 49,500. Johnnie Walker made up 24.5% of all whisky brand searches we track, and The Macallan accounted for 3.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about whisky brands, Johnnie Walker appeared in four of the five answers and The Macallan in three. Johnnie Walker was mentioned before The Macallan in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Johnnie Walker, about 7 searches for every 1 for The Macallan
Who does AI mention more?
Johnnie Walker, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, The Macallan in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Johnnie Walker, named ahead of The Macallan in 3 of 4 answers
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Top whisky brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Johnnie Walker was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. The Macallan was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Johnnie Walker was listed before The Macallan in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Johnnie Walker1st
- Buffalo Trace2nd
Glenfiddich3rd- The Macallan4th
Jim Beam5th
Jameson6th- Redbreast7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Johnnie Walker4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Buffalo Trace4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Glenfiddich3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Jameson3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- The Macallan3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Jim Beam2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Redbreast2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about whisky brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which whisky brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best whisky brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best whisky brand for gifts for adults?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“whisky brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bourbon brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Johnnie Walker or The Macallan more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Johnnie Walker and The Macallan by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven whisky brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Johnnie Walker, The Macallan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Johnnie Walker | Glenfiddich | Jameson | Jim Beam | Buffalo Trace | The Macallan | Redbreast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 27.7% | 22.6% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 10.1% | 1.7% | 0.91% |
| Nov 2025 | 27% | 22.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 12.1% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.4% | 20.7% | 17% | 25.4% | 9.3% | 1.5% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.6% | 22.5% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 10.1% | 2% | 0.91% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.2% | 20.6% | 16.9% | 25.2% | 9.2% | 1.9% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.4% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 17.6% | 9.7% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 26.4% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 26.4% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.5% | 20.4% | 20.4% | 16.7% | 9.2% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.4% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 24.2% | 24.2% | 19.8% | 19.8% | 8.9% | 2.2% | 0.97% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.5% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 11% | 3.3% | 0.99% |
How has the Johnnie Walker and The Macallan comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Johnnie Walker was ahead of The Macallan in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Johnnie Walker’s share of searches among whisky brands worldwide moved from 27.7% to 24.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 368K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Macallan’s share of searches among whisky brands worldwide moved from 1.7% to 3.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for whisky brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, The Macallan gained share of searches among whisky brands worldwide, from 2.2% to 3.3%.
In September 2026, Johnnie Walker rose from 2nd to 1st among whisky brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Johnnie Walker’s and The Macallan’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Johnnie Walker
1 branded search term
- johnnie walker
The Macallan
1 branded search term
- the macallan
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