🥃 Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old
The oldest permanent blended Scotch whisky from Black Dog: malt and grain whiskies aged at least 18 years in oak casks; 42.8% ABV according to Esquire India; IWSC gold in 2011.
Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old is the oldest permanent blended Scotch whisky from the Black Dog brand. The malt and grain whiskies in it are matured for at least 18 years in oak casks. According to Esquire India, the strength is 42.8% ABV; the brand owner is United Spirits Limited, a Diageo subsidiary.
A blog by Nirav Tucker mentions that in 2011 this blend won a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. The Anki on the Move blog, describing a 2012 tasting of Black Dog, presents the 18-year-old whisky as a rare blend whose components matured in oak casks for years. The 21-year-old Quintessence was released in a limited run of 3,540 bottles, so among the permanent versions this one remains the oldest.
Why it matters to you. The age on the label is the minimum for all whiskies in the bottle, six years more than Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old. For comparison, Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature is another 18-year-old blended Scotch. Strength may depend on the market, so check the label. 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 | malt and grain Scotch whiskies |
| Cask type | oak casks |
| Minimum maturation | 18 years — the age of the youngest whisky |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 42.8% ABV (according to Esquire India) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Black Dog Reserve 18 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
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature, 🥃 Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old, 🥃 Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old, 🥃 Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve, 🥃 Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Reserve 18 is the oldest Black Dog?
Among the permanent versions, yes. Quintessence, at 21 years, is older, but it is a limited release of 3,540 bottles.
What award does Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old have?
According to Nirav Tucker's blog, a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2011.
What is the strength of Black Dog Reserve 18 Year Old?
42.8% ABV according to Esquire India; check the label in other markets.
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.
- 🥃 Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve — Blended Scotch whisky from Black Dog without an age statement: triple maturation, final aging in oloroso sherry casks; 42.8% ABV.
Similar
🥃 Black Dog Black Reserve · 🥃 Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve · 🥃 Black Dog Gold Reserve 12 Year Old · 🥃 Chivas Regal Extra 13 · 🥃 Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny · 🥃 Buchanan's Special Reserve 18
⚠️ 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)
- Esquire India: Black Dog whisky variants and sizes, 2026 (Reserve 18 Years, Triple Gold Reserve with oloroso sherry cask finish, Black Reserve Centenary; 42.8 % ABV)
- 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)