Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve

With older stocks supposedly dwindling, even giants like Diageo are rethinking their portfolios. As with so many other whiskies, Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 has been rebranded. It’s now called Gold Label Reserve. The Reserve is apparently blended from stock that’s roughly 15 years or older. But age isn’t everything, and the quality might still be there. Let’s find out.

Nose: Fresh, fruity, and floral. Sliced apples, pears, banana, honey-roasted nuts, butterscotch, sea air, heather, a pleasant graininess. All very high pitched and refreshing.

Palate: Soft mouthfeel, almost watery. The floral Clynelish influence is apparent. Honey flavoured breakfast cereals, butterscotch, cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sliced apples.

Finish: Butterscotch, white pepper, nutmeg, faint anise, heather, floral notes, hay, cereal, malt, and cream. The short finish goes down smoothly enough, but there’s no challenge here.

I see what Diageo is trying to do here. This would go down well in a club setting or a casual social scene. Superficially, it looks and tastes premium. However the Reserve is definitely on the soft, smooth, and safe side. Despite being weak, I actually like the flavours. Unfortunately there’s zero edginess, and it offers nothing to challenge or excite the single malt enthusiast. It’s light and watery. While I was never in love with the 18, this one is definitely a step down. It’s still “stylish,” but It’s also thinner, weaker, and just plain uninspired. If you’ve gotta go Gold, pick up the 18 if you can still find it.

Nose: Starting with citrus, quite a bit actually,then off to sweeter realms with barley sugars and some smoke.Malt and a hint of toffee & sherry.

Palate: Spicy with initial a bit of pepper, then some creamy malt and smoke. Rather smooth, and the body is medium.

Finish: Medium with lingering malt, smoke and wee bit of sultana.

All in all a nice blend, and a good start. I’ve had this quite a few times in the past, but evidently, it didn’t leave a mark. It’s a good blend, but a bit expensive IMHO.

Tonight in Toronto, we are being hit with what is said to be the worst storm in decades. That seems pretty far fetched (I guess we'll see in the morning!), but regardless, I cancelled my plans to see a movie and am toasty warm inside, with this new Johnnie Walker expression. The Gold Label Reserve (with no age statement) replaces the Gold Label 18 Year Old. As you may know, the old 18 Year Old bottling is discontinued, as is the Green Label 15 Year Old blended malt (so if you have bottles of these put aside - hang onto them! Old and discontinued Johnnie Walkers are among the very few blends that increase in value over time). There is also a new 18 Year Old called "Platinum". I've had the old 18 Year Old (as well as the new Platinum) during a Johnnie Walker flight at Spirit House, and I remember liking it quite a bit, but I have no tasting notes to refer back to.

So why the change? Well, the most obvious answer is - they are running a little thin on older stocks - they have to use whiskies in this that are less than 18 years old. And with sales of older age-statement whiskies rapidly growing in Asian markets, they are being shipped there, leaving European and North American consumers with more NAS (No Age Statement) whiskies. This is not necessarily a bad thing - I'm not one to summarily equate older whiskies with quality - but it's an interesting (and sensible, from a financial standpoint) shift in distribution patterns. But enough of the business - back to the spirit!

The colour is a dark reddish gold. Surprisingly, the nose is a little more closed than you might expect. Caramel, honey, vanilla, crisp maltiness, and some clean grain. Minty notes as well. There are oranges and some other fruity notes. A whiff of smoke in the back, but only just. With water, a bit more smoke, with some sawdust. Simple but lovely.

In the mouth, this is incredibly silky smooth - absolutely beautiful mouthfeel. There is both brine and white pepper - this seems to have more Talisker influence than other Johnnie Walkers. But otherwise there is not a lot going on - it's very smooth, with many of the same fruits, caramels and vanillas that are on the nose. Very luxurious, however - incredibly easy to drink!

Very warming on the finish, but at the very end a little rough, with more sea salt and spice. It is nicely balanced but the taste and mouthfeel really do stand out. Again, I don't recall too much of how the old 18 Year Old tasted, though Jim Murray (who rates the new Reserve a 91.5) says the nose is heavier than it's predecessor. If memory serves, I preferred the old 18 Year Old but of course I cannot be sure. I would love to hear from anyone who has compared both - and also anyone who might have more insight into the reasons for this change in bottling.