🥃 Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old
Blended Scotch whisky from Black Dog aged 12 years, formerly Deluxe: 25 whiskies from Speyside, Islay, the Highlands and the Lowlands, each at least 12 years old.
Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old is a blended Scotch whisky from the Black Dog brand, aged 12 years; it was previously sold as Black Dog Deluxe. All whiskies in the blend are matured for at least 12 years. The brand belongs to United Spirits Limited, a Diageo subsidiary.
According to a blog by Nirav Tucker, the blend consists of 25 whiskies from all regions of Scotland. The Anki on the Move blog, describing a 2012 tasting of Black Dog, names the regions: whiskies from Speyside, Islay, the Highlands and the Lowlands, and mentions a silver medal from the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Sources do not provide a separate strength for this version; for the brand in India the typical figure is 42.8% ABV, but check the label.
Why it matters to you. Gold Reserve is four years older than Black Dog Black Reserve. Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve has no age statement but is matured in oloroso casks. For comparison, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Chivas Regal 12 Year Old are blends of the same age. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
|---|---|
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | 25 malt and grain whiskies from Speyside, Islay, the Highlands and the Lowlands |
| Minimum maturation | 12 years — the age of the youngest whisky |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | not stated separately; at least 40% ABV by law, check the label |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Black Dog, 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Speyside whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky, 🥃 Highland whisky, 🥃 Lowland whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label, 🥃 Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, 🥃 Black Dog Black Reserve, 🥃 Black Dog Black Reserve, 🥃 Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old, 🥃 Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Gold Reserve and Deluxe are the same whisky?
According to Nirav Tucker's blog, yes: Gold Reserve 12 Year Old was previously called Black Dog Deluxe.
Where do the whiskies in the Gold Reserve blend come from?
According to Anki on the Move, from Speyside, Islay, the Highlands and the Lowlands; according to Nirav Tucker's blog, there are 25 of them.
What does 12 years on the label mean?
Every whisky in the blend is matured for at least 12 years; some components may be older.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and copper pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% vol. or more.
- 🥃 Speyside whisky — Protected region of Scotch whisky along the River Spey; the SWA’s 2024 map shows 52 distilleries in a small area.
Similar
🥃 Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve · 🥃 Black Dog Black Reserve · 🥃 Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old · 🥃 Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature · 🥃 The Glenturret 15 Year Old · 🥃 Old Pulteney 12 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Nirav Thakker (dKing Unleashed), 01.05.2014: Black Dog and the new Triple Gold Reserve (Black Reserve ex-Centenary, 8 years, 32 whiskies; Gold Reserve 12 ex-Deluxe, 25 whiskies; Triple Gold Reserve, oloroso butts; Reserve 18, IWSC gold 2011; Quintessence 21, 3,540 bottles)
- Anki on the Move, 18.09.2012: Black Dog Scotch tasting (Centenary; 12 Year Old from Speyside, Islay, Highlands and Lowlands, silver at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles; 18 Year Old; Quintessence 21)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)