Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 Year

Curious about the selection (I had never tried a Johnnie Walker before, I promise!) I obtained the mini-bottle tasting set with the top-shelf options: Black, Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, and Blue Label. Ranking and thoughts: 5th: Double Black: intense resin on the aroma, dried fruit on the taste, significant smokiness, and a touch of bitterness. The finish was weak and bitter. Nothing special. Score: 2.5. 4th: 18 Years Old: I had higher expectations; its aroma is also weak, with hay being dominant. On the palate, it's light with dried fruit, grass, and many spices. The finish is decent, the best part: sweet but brief. Score: 3. 3rd: Gold Label Reserve. The aroma and taste feature hazelnut and vanilla, hazelnut cake, and dried fruit. The finish is weak, tasting of pastry cream. Score: 3. 2nd: Black Label: a fantastic surprise considering the incredibly low price! The aroma and taste have cream and vanilla, with mild smokiness (not as intense as Double Black). The finish is short but pleasantly full-bodied. I also detected a hint of peat. What can I say, for €25 you get a bottle much better than many single malts on the market priced at 12 years old... Score: 3.5. 1st: Blue Label: I was intrigued and skeptical. A blended NAS costing over €150 per bottle, not highly regarded in the whisky bible but acknowledged as a superb whisky. I disagree with the esteemed critic Jim Murray... and I will immediately purchase a full bottle! The aroma is light, but the taste is an explosion of sweetness, honey, Williams pears, pine nuts, and crème brûlée. It's pure silk on the tongue. The finish is long but not exceptionally so. A whisky to always keep on hand, to be enjoyed at any time. A true masterpiece in my opinion. Score: 5+

Several years ago, the company managing JW introduced three new blends: Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, and Platinum Label, the only one of the three with an age statement. Meanwhile, it removed the 18-year-old Gold Label and the 15-year-old Green Label from its regular offerings. The latter was the only pure malt blend in the product line. It seems Diageo would discontinue two aged whiskies – one of which was the only one in its portfolio made entirely of single malts, without adding grain whiskey – and replace them with two blended whiskies without an age statement and one with one. The perception is that the brand prioritized market reach over quality. It's comparable to casting Nicholas Cage in the lead role of a movie that would have suited Michael Caine. In comparison to its predecessor, Gold Label 18 Years Old (Centenary Blend), Gold Label Reserve is less rich, less complex, and significantly less aromatic. Source: Cão Barrafado website.

I saw an article stating Johnny Walker is the top-selling scotch in the US, and Glenfiddich is most popular globally. After finishing a bottle of GF 18, I decided to taste this one for comparison. I enjoy a blended malt just as much as a single malt enthusiast, but I don't grasp why JW keeps altering its branding. Platinum sounds appealing, and 18 years might resonate with consumers, but Gold is good, and there's also a Gold Reserve? Upon smelling: it reminds me of the holidays. Citrus and smoke! Grapefruit and lemon roasted with cinnamon sticks and some firewood. The palate is like satin, full of fruit and festive spice. I detect candy cane mixed with cinnamon and citrus fruit. There's a hint of smoke and pine. This bottle is pleasant, but I prefer the Gold Label Reserve. It seems younger and livelier on the palate. At one point, Platinum was the best in the range, in my opinion, but now I find Green and Gold Reserve to be superior offerings.

This bottle is difficult to find as Johnnie Walker ceased production some years ago. I had the pleasure of tasting it recently because a friend celebrated the birth of their newborn, and the husband shared this old bottle. First, it is superior to the current Johnnie Walker Green Label, Gold Label Reserve, and Platinum Label. It simply is. I've never had a better 18-year-old whisky; I don't know why I tend to dislike whiskies of that specific age. However, this one is quite good. The aroma offers honey, orange, and peat – a very beautiful, gentle, sweet, and delightful scent. On the palate, it's initially sweet with honey notes, then turns salty and spicy, with a full oakiness and a hint of elegant peat. The finish is long and reminded me of the cough syrup I'd take when ill. A beautiful, immense experience.

The aroma is very subtle, but hints of light honey, malt, and dried fruit are present. The honey flavor continues onto the palate, becoming much more pronounced and joined by numerous other tastes, including walnuts, red apples, berries, toffee, vanilla, and oil. The palate deepens in character before the finish, with notes of coffee and dark chocolate emerging. The rich palate is reminiscent of Tomatin 18. The finish is brief, with only a faint trace of maltiness remaining, leaving a desire for another sip to further explore the palate's flavors. I am impressed by this opulent blend, and I believe its price is justified for a scotch with an 18-year age statement.

I soon realized I was very fortunate. I had the opportunity to find a 200 ml travel size of the Centenary Blend. On the nose, the scents of well-aged Barley Malt, Oak, honey, and peat smoke stand together. This is also true on the palate. One word comes to mind as I drink this 2 oz of pure bliss: BURNISHED. This nectar has been perfectly distilled and blended. It requires nothing else, no water, no citrus peel; only my time and admiration for the skill involved.