I never get tired of the marketing BS that gets put on whisky. Its the equivalent of selling perfume through adverts on the TV. There is an obvious sensory disconnect. Highland Park are the true masters of marketing BS of late I think. I knew nothing of Johnnie Walker Gold. I’m likely mistaken but I think there used to be a travel retail exclusive gold 18, maybe? This Gold Label Reserve is a replacement of that I think and comes with a fairly sensible spiel from the liberal arts grad in marketing: “Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is a luxurious and smooth whisky, with notes of vanilla and dark fruit – a wonderful tribute to the harmonious partnership of Speyside and Highland whiskies, with just a hint of smouldering embers from the West Coast. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is made for those unforgettable nights out with amazing friends” Jokes on you JW Marketing team, I’m in a high back leather chair in blissful peace and quiet. Unforgettable night out indeed. N: I’ve let this sit for around 15 minutes and there is still some aggressive spirit lingering. Behind the burn though, sticky caramel texture with honey, wood spice, cinnamon, mushy banana and an ever so delicate floral/perfume note all get brought along by a malt heavy nose. A hint of oily smoke, that sadly stops short of where I’d like it to be. Initial burn aside, this is a lovely rich nose built on simplicity. P: Light, quite dry and just a touch waxy. Honeyed malt is obvious and the main player, some citrus freshness accompany juicy berries and quite prominent florals. Despite an initially drying open this becomes juicier and a touch sweeter with each sip along with a light vanilla. Whilst very well delivered there is a very obvious lack of depth here I’m largely forgetting what its about in-between sips. The best element is the juiciness, but towards the end of the dram I’m actually starting to think it’s a little plain. I hoped to find the smoke that was but a whisper on the nose, sadly not. F: Medium-long. Surprisingly long, vanilla, toffee and brown sugar linger in a waxy fight between astringent and juicy. Interesting. Interesting. The grain component here is obvious as the sweetness that builds throughout the delivery, but it doesn’t seem to detract from the malt forward and curiously juicy profile. Perhaps the grain masks some of the wood profile? I don’t know. What is here in the honey, malt, berry fruitiness, and banana are all just fine. The smoke and florals sadly fail to get going, they would have been wonderful elevators of this liquid, but what can you do? Well, my stock standard suggestion in these situations with these profiles: pay less, drink more Monkey Shoulder. [Pictured here with a (fools) gold mineral for a gold label. This mineral is a pyrite “sun” from Sparta, Illinois, USA. Growing in the ~300 million year old Herrin Coal Measures 50-75 m underground these discs of iron sulphide are formed by anaerobic bacteria decomposing organic matter in black shale layers. The bacterial processes produce chemical conditions that precipitate pyrite. Restricted by the sediments above and below the progressive growth of the pyrite is forced outwards growing elongate bundles that coalesce into a disc. Anyway, THIS. IS. SPARTA. And in Sparta we apparently drink Gold Label] Distiller whisky taste #147 Johnnie Walker running scores: Red: 2.0 Black 12: 2.5 Black Islay Origins: 3.5 Double Black: 3.25 Gold: 3.5