🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with no age statement, 40% ABV; according to Difford's Guide, released in 2011, with Clynelish casks in the blend.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is a blended Scotch whisky with no age statement at 40% ABV. The brand describes the taste as honey in velvet with cream and vanilla spice. According to Difford's Guide, in the Johnnie Walker range it sits between Black Label and Platinum Label.
Difford's Guide dates the release to 2011 and describes it as a blend of malt and grain whiskies that includes casks of the single malt Clynelish. No years of maturation are stated: by law each component must have at least three years in oak. The sources do not specify which casks, apart from the mentioned Clynelish, are used, so we do not assume.
Why this matters to you. A gold label does not mean a golden age: no age is given here, which is not the same as an 18-year-old whisky. Compare it with Black Label, which carries 12 years on its label, by the label itself, not by the colour. The WHO reminds us that 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 whiskies; components include Clynelish (according to Difford's Guide) |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years by law; no age statement |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Clynelish
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label
Frequently asked questions
Is Gold Label Reserve the oldest in the range?
No. It has no age statement, and Blue Label ranks higher in the brand's hierarchy. Other lines, such as Black Label, carry an age in their name.
What is known about the composition of Gold Label Reserve?
According to Difford's Guide, it is a blend of malt and grain whiskies with casks of the single malt Clynelish.
What is the strength of Gold Label Reserve?
40% ABV according to the producer and Difford's Guide.
What to read next
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label — Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with a stated age of 12 years, 40% ABV; according to Difford's Guide, around 40 single malts, many of them from Islay.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label — Base line of Johnnie Walker: a blended Scotch at 40% ABV with no age statement, up to 35 whiskies in the blend; according to the brand, the most popular in its range.
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black — Smokier Johnnie Walker expression with no age statement, first released in 2010 for global travel retail; 40% ABV on the US page.
Similar
🥃 Johnnie Walker Blue Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Double Black · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label · 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label · 🥃 Ballantine's Finest
⚠️ 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
- Johnnie Walker: Gold Label Reserve (blended Scotch, 40 % ABV)
- Difford's Guide: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve (launched 2011; malt and grain; Clynelish casks; 40 %; no age statement)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (blended, blended malt; min. 3 years; min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)