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New Johnnie Walker whiskies: Double Black, Gold Reserve and Platinum

By Miguel in Tasting , Featured , Johnnie Walker

I will tell you a secret, I am not a big fan of Johnnie Walker whiskies.

Being from Spain, I am used to have at hand a wide amount of great deluxe whiskies like Johnnie Walker Red Label, Chivas Regal 12 years old or the epitome whisky! Johnnie Walker Black Label. Grin. Sad grin. I want to cry! Really!.

As you can imagine the first time I tasted a single malt I was hit with all the strength of seven centuries of awesome creations. Now I really understand why the little man in Johnnie Walker’s bottles keep walking…

Anyway, while my visit at The Whisky Show 2012 I had the chance of tasting at Diageo stand the three new Johnnie Walker’s proposals: Double Black, Gold Label Reserve and Platinum Reserve.

johnnie-walker-stand

As I have recently reviewed the complete range of Johnnie Walker bottles plus some other obscure bottles I though it was a great way of recovering of the huge deception that supposed not to be able to taste Lagavulin 21 years old to taste these three blended whiskies.

The whiskies

The Brand Ambassor suggested that I tasted first Gold Reserve so I obeyed.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve

Did you noticed they dropped the age statement? Well, they have done their best for you not to notice it. Anyway… once you taste it, you will realize that something really evil has happened in this whisky… and not that I was a big fan of it before…

“Disappointing! Smells young and tastes light. I want old Gold Reserve back ”

85
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky
A blended whisky in the Johnnie Walker range, building on the success of the previous 18 year Gold Label. Built around a core of single malt whisky from Clynelish, the Gold Label is a great addition to the lineup from master blender Jim Beveridge.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (86): more than average. honey, floral, citrus, vanilla. Smells young. This is nowhere close to the old Gold Label.

Palate (85): light. honey, floral, pepper, vanilla.

Finish (83): average. honey, smoke.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky with 85 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

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Johnnie Walke Platinum 18 years old

Unlike Blue Label, Platinum has an age statement in the box, 18 years old, although it is more expensive that the old 18 years old Gold Label. At least, this is a very nice whisky with a profile complex and mature that remind me of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Very nice but hugely overpriced.

“Not sure if this Johnnie Walker Platinum is a bit step over old Gold Reserve, but definitively it is over the actual bottle”

89
Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Platinum Label Blended Scotch Whisky
Originally introduced solely into travel retail, the Platinum Label (the first new'colour' to be introduced into the Johnnie Walker range for years) has now made it out into the wider world. It's a rich and refined blend of whiskies matured for at least 18 years that slips perfectly into the range just behind the iconic Blue Label.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. honey, spices, smoke, citrus.

Palate (89): powerful. honey, peat, vanilla, fruits, smoke.

Finish (89): longer than average. honey, floral, smoke.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Platinum Label Blended Scotch Whisky with 89 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Blended Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:


Johnnie Walker Double Black

I had all my hopes placed on this whisky. It was Black Label with more smoke. Not a fan of Black Label but I love peated whisky. Well… if you are after the peat go and look for it somewhere else. There is no peat and very little smoke on this whisky.

“I was hoping and crossing my fingers for this to be more peated. Unfortunately it is barely smoked”

86
Johnny Walker Double Black
The whisky was created taking Black Label as a blueprint and adding heavily-peated malts and some aged in deeply charred oak casks. It is a "limited" release.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (85): average. honey, floral, vanilla. Young! WTF! The same smell that Red Label has!

Palate (86): light. honey, floral, citrus, smoke.

Finish (86): average. honey, smoke.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Johnny Walker Double Black with 86 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Blended Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:


Miguel says…

Uuuaaaarrgh! Sorry! I am with you in a moment! Uaaaaggh!

Justin-Bieber-Throw-up-vomit-stage-Glendale-live-Arizona-600x450

Ok, back!

Well, very little to say about them… the only one worth of having whisky written in it is Platinum and it is hugely overpriced. I have been trying to write something positive about the other two and the best I can say is “Don’t buy them“.

In case you just want more, read me previous review of the whole Johnnie Walker range of bottles at http://awardrobeofwhisky.com/post/keep-walking-with-johnnie-walker-tasting-the-whole-range



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