Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old (or "Aged 18 Years") is a terrific blended Scotch whisky from the world-famous range, which features a combination of up to 18 different whiskies, including the likes of Cardhu, Glen Elgin, Auchroisk and Blair Athol, among others. But no, thats not how it is blended. This Scotch is full-bodied yet delicate; complex, yet subtle. Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 year traditionally retailed for around $85, this new Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve was initially rumored to come in around the $65 price point (a fair adjustment for a much younger product), but unfortunately, much to our surprise, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve comes in at the painfully high $87. I have read and agreed to theterms of useandcookie notice*, I would like to receive emails from Johnnie Walker. This is a very solid base for a highball, especially for anyone looking to get into a mild blended scotch that brings all of Scotland into the glass. According to The Whiskey Wash, the golden amber Blue Label brings your nose hints of cocoa, cedar, roasted coffee, and light tobacco smoke. Teerenpeli These are the classic blends that have immortalized the Johnnie Walker name in the scotch whiskey market. First aged in ex-bourbon casks and then married in a vat for a second extended aging. The recommended list price is around $450, but is available from retailers for as little as $310 per bottle. The only reason this ones technically second and not third is that its a lot less expensive. Its the spiritual kin of the Shetland sweaterstylish, full of texture, and a source of great warmth. Add a few drops of water and the palate expands, with baking spice, toffee, pear and dried fig notes intermingling into something delightful. Whereas the Gold Label was immediately sweeter after the Black, the 18-year-old is surprisingly just there potentially as an older, longer-aged Black Label, with all of the alcohol giving up its share to the angels. Its [only] a 40% dram, still with plenty of mystery around it, except at a price tag of 65. It oozes with the character of a single malt whisky with the inclusion of rich toffee and fresh black pepper. So this is indeed a rare treat. Let's assume then that. And its the best-selling scotch whisky by a pretty big margin. Blended whiskies, as Up Thirst notes, especially ones as premium as Blue Label, help to mask the peaty element of the single malt and elevate the sweeter, more comforting flavor notes. From there, the malt is dried, ground, and prepared for fermentation. Get the Robb Report newsletter for similar stories delivered straight to your inbox. Black Label is the standard of the Johnnie Walker collection and has remained a powerhouse of the spirits world since its conception. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Old Style. The Blue Label does its best to push aside and hide that punchy presence, and it is a very successful, delightful, and, may I add, very sensual pour. I like to travel around the world and discover local brands of liquor. For other spirit ideas see Finding The Perfect Fathers Day Gift. 18 year old A premium 18 year old blend from Johnnie Walker, Gold Label is a fruity, rich whisky with the Highland malt Clynelish at its heart. Many are multiple award winners. Drink responsibly. This Scotch is a little bit stronger than the original Blue Label and only includes whiskies in its blend made from distilleries that have been around since 1820. This is an almost savory whisky, with a supporting cast of stone fruit, vanilla and even some honey notes, striking a nice balance throughout each sip. Our whisky blends big, classic Johnnie Walker flavors with intriguing contemporary notes. Crn Mr Dominant flavors include rich dark chocolate, dried coconut, and orange, with subtle notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and wood smoke. Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years Diageo. See also UK based mail order vendors like The Whiskey Exchange or Master of Malt, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Centenary 18 YO Blended Scotch Whisky. For its price point, it does not justify its lack of taste and quality. . Underneath this fruit is a very subtle smoke, a little salinity, a touch of oak spice, and a little barnyard hay. JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL . Mortlach Bruichladdich Johnnie Walker is one of the most iconic spirits on the planet. Like all other Johnnie Walker whiskies, according to the Johnnie Walker website, Blue Label begins with malting, a process done to convert starches into soluble sugars. This is the same juice, which is comprised of 18 whiskies all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. Add to Wish List. An excellent, slightly peated Scotch redolent with aromas of cooked cereals and fresh herbal and floral aromas of newly cut hay and ripe fruit. The name Monkey Shoulder is a reference to a repetitive shoulder injury caused by shoveling malted barley by hand. Every sip you take grants you new discoveries from the previous one. This special edition Blue Label is currently retailing for $299. The blend that fills Blue Label bottles must reach a minimum of 28-years-old, and some single-malts are as old as 60 years. Still, this is the broadest of all the sips on the list and really only works as a mixer at the end of the day. Aged in ex-bourbon, scotch, and sherry casks, it offers aromas of polished leather, rich dried fruits, and spiced oak. Most of these are classic malt whiskies - which have undergone a slow, easy maturation in Scotland for at least 18 years. They all offer an excellent whisky that is available at a compelling price in relation to its peers. JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL 750ML. Peat is sometimes added at this stage, which helps the drying process and gives the finished whisky a smoky flavor. Crabbie's Yardhead Now its all about the liquid. Instead, a spirit that evoked rarity, exclusivity, and luxury was in demand Blue Label was exactly what they were looking for. With that all in mind, heres a definitive ranking of Johnnie Walkers core line of scotch whiskies. Towards the end of the midpalate the whisky takes on a little spice with oak, black pepper, and ginger. According to Punch, Guinness UDV, Johnnie Walker's then-owner, saw a niche in the market to be filled by a status symbol spirit in the late 1980s. Johnnie Walker Gold Label does a superb job of bringing together many of the different kinds of malts in the Johnnie Walker universe into a singular expression that demonstrates why blended scotch is so highly consumed. You can sometimes find it overseas for around $200. Diageo is clearly banking on the fact that they can re-capture theconnoisseur with one of their many single malt offerings (its no coincidence that Talisker Storm was released at the same time as Gold Label Reserve). The Johnnie Walker Label has partnered with the Club to produce explorer-inspired labels in support of their cause. Chivas Regal, 12 YO Blended Scotch Whisky. 2) this is only $65 (depending on local taxes) and thats crazy cheap for a whisky this good. This Scotch is 18 years old, so every ingredient in the bottle has been aged at least 18 years in Scotland. Macduff Tobermory AU $201.90. In the midpalate the slight smoke from the nose does emerge along with very slight black pepper, but its the oak that really jumps out and begins to take over the fruit, throwing whisky off balance. All Rights Reserved. Cask Strength Peated: Batch 2, the latest release from under-the-radar Speyside producer The BenRiach, is a single malt Scotch whisky that will test the intestinal fortitude of the heartiest hooch drinkers. Macallan Sponsored. This classic Speyside whisky is worth twisting the tongue over. Character Of Islay The Cristal of the blended whisky wo. Dried fruit with a plummy sweetness mingles with a very soft and almost dry pall of smoke. Ledaig, safe haven in Gaelic, is handcrafted at the Tobermory Distillery, the only whisky production facility on the impossibly colorful Isle of Mull. Add a little water to let it bloom and take your time with it. The end is slow, smoky, and full of dry fruits, nuts, and a malty nature. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. Full disclosure: For us, this and the expression above are basically a tie when it comes to how tasty they are. If thats your jam, wonderful this is the whisky for you. House of MacDuff Morrison and MacKay You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This 12 day advent calendar style pack is now being offered at a substantial discount. Its just somewhat overpriced. . The result, a unique combination of matured malt whisky hailing from Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and the Scottish Islands. When its good and ready, the cereal is dried in a kiln. We only provide the approximate prices. A subsidiary of Bacardi, Dewar's flagship White Label is consistently lauded as America's favorite single bottle of Scotch. Caol Ila Mannochmore The Blue doesn't come with an age specification but the Black is a blend of 12-year-old malts, the Green 15's, and the Gold seems to be bottled as either 15 or 18. It is a blend of 15 whiskies, each at least 18 years old built around the unmistakeable honeyed notes of Clynelish single malt. The standard minimum for maturation is three years. Johnnie Walker Taste Test: Forget Jack Daniels. For its introduction (the whisky was previously only available in travel retail internationally), Johnnie Walker has put the new Gold Label Reserve into a shiny gold bottle that looks a lot like the Ace of Spaces (aka Armand de Brignac champagne) packaging. The thing is, there is still a good deal of subtlety to this 10-year-old spirit, which is aged in a combination of bourbon barrels and wine casks and has a PPM of 40 (thats pretty smoky, to be clear). It is a blend . This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walkers whiskies. Follow us: Copyright 2016 - Kleinman.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. Matured for at least 18 years, the intriguing tastes of citrus and fragrant almonds are evident in the blend. Get up to 61% off Robb Report, plus a free tote bag. Fortunately, with a bit of dilution, the whiskys oomph abates. Read More. It used to be one of those bottles you could only get at duty-free but became widely available a few years ago. Its eponymous distillery, established in 1794, produces whisky with a flavor profile that straddles the smoky style of the Scottish islands and the livelier, more toothsome malts made in the Highlands. Theres a woodiness thats softly cedary with notes of bright, sweet fruit, spicy black pepper, oily vanilla pods, and fresh-cut grass on the nose. Ah, but malt master Brian Kinsman adds a sublime touch, finishing the 21 Year Old in Caribbean rum casks that rouse exotic fruit flavors such as mango, lime, and banana. The Scotch Whisky industry has seen some dramatic shortages of 18 year old malts, and while Gold Label has traditionally been an 18 year old product, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label has now taken over that space. On the nose we get apricots, anise and orange oil. Gordon & MacPhail It's a wonderful way to try the lineup of Johnnie Walker whiskies without breaking the bank. Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old 2 Blue Label Miniatures Gift Set 80cl / 40% 81.95 (102.44 per litre) Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Glass Set 70cl / 40% 83.45 (119.21 per litre) Johnnie Walker Red Label Bot.1980s 75cl / 40% 125 (166.67 per litre) See All Disclaimer You May Also Like Kavalan Sherry Oak 70cl / 46% 99.75 (142.50 per litre) The whiskies in this blend are at least 18 years of age [I wonder if it also applies to the grain ones]. The Ledaig 1996 19 Years Old is what is often referred to as a peat bomb, crackling with smoky goodness from sniff to finish. The rich amber-colored 17 is full-flavored and balanced, develops slowly, and brims with sweet malty notes and the intensely jammy flavor of a black mission figand with a touch of peat smoke and a hint of oak to boot. It is almost the same as Platinum. Lumsden is a leading pioneer in wood finishing, and here he combines two vastly different whiskies to yield one damn tasty dram. So if you like this, stick around for other writeups! A whisky worth the wait. Drinking alcohol can lead to serious illnesses and have a negative effect on motor skills, which are required for driving and machinery operation. Now, as master blender, Walker leads a 12-person team to create, hone, and perfect new variants of Johnnie Walker. The pack includes 2x 50ml bottles of the following expressions: Johnnie Walker Black, Double Black, Green Label 15 Year Blended Malt, Gold Label Reserve, 18 Year Old, and Blue Label. There are some excellent older age-statement bottlings, including this new limited-edition 18-year-old, one of malt master Stephanie MacLeods special releases. Smokehead Its a smoke show, simple as that. Glendronach Peat, of course, is the lifeblood of Islay whisky, and theres nary a dram produced on that scotch-soaked isle that is as peat-forward as Lagavulin 16. The shiny gold bottle isnt intended to be the permanent packaging for Gold Label Reserve as its billed as a limited time offering. This is probably a good thing as the packaging is one of the worst weve seen come out of Johnnie Walker. Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 is a phenomenal example of a quality blended scotch. How Old Is Gold Label Johnnie Walker? In this article, we will get to know the different flavors of one of the best-selling whisky brands in the world. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The whisky was aged in European and American sherry-seasoned oak, with a small amount of bourbon barrels included as well. On the palate is a cornucopia of bright fruit flavor spiked with ginger and dark chocolate. 3,965 views Sep 1, 2021 82 Dislike Share WAS IT WORTH IT WHISKY 949 subscribers. Mackillops Choice Johnnie Walker has quickly become one of the worlds great aspirational brands. It is a bottle that is more affordable to have and replenish in your home bar many times over. The sweetness of the blend pairs perfectly with apple juice and soda. Elixir Distillers Okay, maybe not so simple. The whisky shingle doesnt leave its fans starving for options either, with seven core bottles in the U.S. line up and 16 active limited editions (although several of those are variations on the spendy Johnnie Walker Blue, which itself has five limited-edition expressions). Jura You may opt-out by. They are produced by combining single malt scotch whiskies made at various Diageo plants across Scotland with the single grain whiskies made at its large Lowland distilleries. A blend that offers a refined, intense expression of the Chivas signature style. Granted, I have never had the Royal Salute, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Duncan Taylor Lagavulin Finally, the distillate fills oak casks for a long maturation, the final step that contributes the most color and flavor. To be sure, in the last several decades this segment has seen dramatic changes and a significant premiumization of the category. Probably THE most famous super-premium blend, made up of the finest old-aged malt and grain whiskies. The Red Label bursts with vibrant flavors, creating depth mixed from the light whiskey of East coast Scotland to the peaty whiskies of the West. It was then taken off the marking in 2013 before it was given a soft relaunch in late 2015 / early 2016. AU $269.99. A burst of sweet fruit and creamy smoothness. These are the same malts used in the Chivas range of blended whiskies. Of their cause a 12-person team to create, hone, and luxury was in demand Blue was... Whisky was aged in ex-bourbon, scotch, and sherry casks, offers. Finest old-aged malt and grain whiskies there, the intriguing tastes of citrus and fragrant almonds are evident the... Scotch whisky by a pretty big margin notice *, i would like to travel around the and... Peat is sometimes added at this stage, which helps the drying process gives... 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