Review: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve & Springbank 10 years

Whisky Dogs
The whisky tasting club, I and some other guys pulled together about a year ago, is called the Whisky Dogs.  We are mangy scruffs who sniff out the good stuff and bark at the bow-wow bottles.

The Whisky Dogs met this past Friday night at my house.  I set up a blind tasting of four bottles and served in the following order:

(1)  Johnnie Walker Green Label (pure malt)
(2)  Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve (blend)
(3)  Amrut Fusion (single malt)
(4)  Springbank 10yrs (single malt)

The order of serving was from slightest to most robust.

Only I knew what was being poured.  I conducted the experiment to see what the hounds would select as: Best? Second best? Dead last?

I always enjoy hosting blind tastings and noting the reactions of people to the mystery pours.  In my mind, I ranked the best to worst.  I'll let you know what I thought the ranking should be and whether or not the dawgs agreed, at the end of this post.

Johnnie Walker Green Label
We started off with this blend of single malts, and it showed well.  It's very good, but sadly being discontinued.  Enough said.  Tasting notes available: here.  The Dogs panted their approval.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Diageo, the owner of the Johnnie Walker brand has been tinkering with its product line-up as of late.  Besides Green Label getting the axe, they introduced Double Black and  relaunched Gold Label as "Gold Label Reserve".  Both are without age statements and the speculation is that there is an insufficient supply of aged malts to continue to meet demand.  So, drop the age statement requirement, add in younger malt and grain whiskies, and presto, problem solved.

Of course, for you and I, the consumer, there is a potential problem.  Taste and quality of blended scotch whisky may be at risk.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label, up until last year, had an 18 year old age statement and was one of the very best blended scotch whiskies.  (I reviewed it here.)  An explanation is provided on Whisky.com regarding the reasoning for abandoning the 18 year age statement and moving to the no-age-statement 'Gold Label Reserve':

The existing Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18-year-old and Johnnie Walker Green Label will begin to be phased out in the U.S. market during the summer of next year (the phase-outs will begin this summer in most other global markets). In their place, Diageo will introduce two new labels that have tested successfully in Asia—Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve (selling for around $63 a 750-ml.) and Johnnie Walker Platinum 18-year-old (around $110).

Diageo’s head of whisky outreach Nick Morgan told Shanken News Daily the revamp was meant to spread out the Johnnie Walker portfolio’s pricing in order to better motivate consumers to move up the brand ladder. 

"As we reviewed the brand offering, we found that the range wasn’t meeting consumer needs and providing the best consumer journey through the range as far as taste profiles and price points,” Morgan said. “Another reason for this change is to try and have, as far as is possible, a consistent range of prices and options for consumers wherever they go in the world—which, to be honest, we haven’t had heretofore.” (Emphasis added)

The new Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is based on the same Clynelish single malt as Gold Label 18-year-old, but it has a less peaty profile and will sell for around $20 less. Removing the age statement from the Gold offering also enables Diageo greater flexibility in crafting the blend. Platinum 18-year-old, meanwhile, has a more intense, peaty Speyside character. The two new variants will sit between Black Label (around $40) and Blue Label (around $210) in the portfolio. “You can see how the ladder then stretches out,” Morgan said."

I do not agree with Mr. Morgan's statement underlined above.  Gold Label 18 years met mine and a lot of consumer's needs.

Let me tell you something about Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 years.  It had a nose that was among the finest of any whisky.  Yes, any!  Single malts included, regardless of age or distillery.  The nose was incredibly floral in an amazingly realistic fashion.  Close your eyes and it was flowers, roses and peonies.  Fantastically well done.  Diageo must have spent a fortune to get those heavenly scents to rise up in the glass just so.  A lot of time and experimentation must have been spent to achieve such remarkable olfactory perfection.  

The axed Gold Label 18 years did not disappoint on the palate.   Luscious wild honey, English cream, cinnamon, interesting peat & smoke hidden amongst exotic spices just floored me.  This dram was interestingly peated. 

I bought several bottles in the past and they were all consistently excellent.

So, with that memory, I thought I would spring on the Whisky Dogs a real treat that would leave them salivating for more.

Nose (undiluted)

The glorious floral notes of the 18 year old predecessor were nowhere to be found.  In its rightful place was an unremarkable impostor serving up thin, faint tendrils of chopped mint, sea air and what passed for peat but more reminiscent of a pine tree air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror of an airport cab.

Palate (undiluted)

Sweet. Matter of fact. Let there be no confusion. Horribly, sticky Danish sweet. This is like a bag of sugar donuts that your local cop polishes off in his squad car, with a triple cream & sugar coffee, while secretly hoping he does not get trapped in morning rush hour gridlock before getting to the station to do his business. This flavor profile is a travesty that evokes childhood memories of Honeycomb and Corn Pops cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons.  I am really disappointed.

Finish (undiluted)

Short. Like Danny DeVito short. Somewhat grainy like your satellite TV reception in a snow storm. A little warmth, malty/oakey, a puff of cigarette smoke and a cheap shake of pepper.

General Impressions

Well, I was embarrassed to have included that in the tasting.  None of the dogs raised their paws.  Instead, they rolled over and played dead when I offered to pour more.  Needless to say, they were totally unimpressed.  The best one of them could come up with was that it was smooth.  Hmmm, so is lava as it oozes out of a volcano.  

Price Point/Suggested Alternatives

You know how I feel? Robbed! Robbed I tell you. I paid $79 ($62 in the US) for this bottle of sweet honey, Halloween candied, marmalade glaze concoction. I really am ticked off.  For that price I could have had a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 that I consider to be in the same flavor style (ie. honey/nutmeg/cinnamon) and most definitely superior.

Diageo claims Clynelish is at the centre of Gold Label Reserve.  I am not tasting it.  What I do recognize is lots of Cardhu, which by the way is never a good thing.

Much cheaper and nearly equivalent renditions of this flavor profile are available. I am thinking Power's Gold for $22 or lets go cheaper to Cutty Sark.

Anyway, next up was a no-age statement single malt of India: Amrut Fusion.

Amrut Fusion Single Malt

Amrut Fusion is a single malt produced in India.  Some of the peated barley is sourced from Scotland and the remainder  is taken from Punjab.  When people learn this, I find they immediately turn up their nose.  

"India?  Single malt?" they say.

I know what they are thinking too.  Jason truly is out to lunch.  The rumours are true.

When I get this narrow-minded reaction, I try to convince them that Amrut Fusion is damn good.  But, it just falls on deaf ears.  I explain that this Indian single malt whisky is made in Bangalore. The distillery takes Punjabi and peated Scottish barley and makes an interesting single malt. Hence, the name: Fusion.  AND!!!!  It is good!  I also point out that single malt can be produced outside of Scotland.  Japan has been doing so successfully for many years.  Remember how 15 or 20 years ago people scoffed at the thought of Japanese single malt?  Well, guess what?  India is the new Japan.  At this point in the conversation, people usually peel away from me with lame excuses that they gotta make a call or it's getting late.

So, up against some single malt snobbery that I suspected had infected my pack of mongrels like a bad case of the fleas, I decided to include this Bangalore number in the blind tasting.

The reaction was wholly positive.  Everyone liked it and were taken aback by its huge flavor profile.  This is a big whisky.  Towering.  Tastes of saddle leather and mahogany.  Real old school.  Powerful horse kick of cedar, cloves, cardamon, spiced dark treacle, coriander. Dark chocolate that has a heavy weighting of cocoa. Some big peat notes reminiscent of Islay are also present.  At 50% ABV it is amazingly enjoyable neat.  Mind you, not for the novice.

When the tasting was done of all the flights, I revealed Amrut, and some were truly incredulous that India could produce such a quality whisky.  Nevertheless, the conversion process had begun.  

Springbank 10 years Single Malt

The last flight of the blind tasting was Springbank 10 years single malt.  

The dogs sniffed suspiciously.  They were unsure what to think of me any more.  I had started them off Green Label that they lapped up, but then did a U-turn and headed the wrong way on a one-way street with Gold Label Reserve, unleashed them in the park with Amrut Fusion, and now, they were going to splash around in the swimming pool.  Hopefully, there would be no Oh Henry! bar sightings in the water . . . .  Let's see how they made out with Springbank.

Nose (undiluted)

Heavy sea air, black smoke, thick peat, lemons.  Beautiful and unique.  Something very different.  Artisanal if you will. 

Palate (undiluted)

Brine, salty, lemon rind, green apple, Brazil nuts, an oily body, and sherry makes an appearance in a cloud of black smoke and sooty peat. 

Finish (undiluted)

Firm, drying oak, plenty of spiced balsa,  black tea.  There is a firm maltiness too on the finish that is very unique.  Enormously complex weaving of flavors.

General Impressions

All the dogs howled in approval at Springbank.  It's like the moon rose high in the night sky and we were going to croon to it all evening.  Wow!  Springbank 10 years is a great malt.  Not good.  Great!  A show stopper that commands your attention from the nose through the finish. Why?  Unique friend.  Very unique!

The magic of Springbank is how it can so deliciously present on the palate both peat smoke and sherry.  Very hard to do I tell you and rarely is it executed so well as here.  While the distillery employs mostly ex-bourbon casks to age this spirit, a few sherry casks are thrown in the mix.  The spirit is not surprisingly light in color, but don't worry, this is a rich, luxurious dram that displays the ying and yang of peat/smoke and a little sherry with great dexterity.  Make no mistake, this is greatness in malt form.  

Price Point

Not cheap.  A 10 year old single malt that costs nearly $100 ($98) to be exact better be good.  It is worth the high price of admission.  I have no regrets.  This is a memorable whisky that I will certainly be thinking about long after the bottle is long gone.  A classic if you will and living proof that age statements are not necessarily indicative of quality.  This 10 year old kicks butt, and beats the hell out of a lot of single malts that are 18 years.  In fact, as much as I like Springbank 15, I truly prefer the 10.

46% alc/vol

The higher than usual 40% or 43% abv doesn't necessarily mean you need to add water.  I like this neat, but some like water.  A matter of taste.  It is also non-chill filtered and no artificial colouring is added. 

Whisky Dog Rankings?

In my mind, I ranked the whiskies in order of greatness (#1 the most) as follows:

(1)  Springbbank 10

(2)  Amrut Fusion

(3)  Johnnie Walker Green

(4)  Johnnie Walker Gold Label

And the Whisky Dogs without my opinion came to the same ranking of quality.  They were quick to point out that Springbank was more complex than the Amrut.  But, they did love the Amrut too.  B-dawg member was really impressed with Amrut, and maybe I succeeded in showing him that great whisky is not geographically limited to Scotland.  He kept staring at the bottle after I unveiled it.

Another bit of wisdom I took away from the tasting was how a group of guys with varying preferences with respect to whisky nonetheless agreed as to the ranking of the whiskies.  This reinforces my belief that the discernment of great whisky and poor ones is not purely a subjective enterprise.  There are absolute truths in this world, and they apply to whisky too.

On the Look-out

I and the other whisky dogs are always on the look-out for other great malts.  We hope to report on many more shortly.  So, keep checking in from time to time!

Cheers!

Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved. Any and all use is prohibited without permission. Photograph credits: (1) First photograph is entitled "Hurworth Houngs - going for a walk in the snow" by Amy Fair - Hurworth Photography, who holds all world copyright.  No reproduction is permitted without permission of Amy Fair - Photography.  Used here with photographer's permission.  (2) Various photographs of scotch whiskies and Amrut were taken by Jason Debly.  (3) Final photograph of German Shorthaired Pointer Dog taken by Yourdogtoday's Photostream, who holds all worldwide copyright and reproduction is permitted without obtaining this copyright holder's permission.  Note:  All images appearing in this article are for the purposes of nostalgia, education and entertainment.  Moreover, all images used are considered by the author to be significant in illustrating the subject matter, facilitating artistic/critical commentary, as it provides an immediate relevance to the reader more capably than the textual description.

Review: Springbank 15 yrs Single Malt Scotch

I am standing at the bottom of my driveway on this Saturday afternoon.  It's raining.  Well, to be specific, it's a light drizzle, steadily pelting my face at a 45 degree angle, kinda stings a little (guess I won't be invited by Hollywood to reprise Bruce Willis' role in the Die Hard series any time soon).  The sky is gray.  Seriously gray.  Maybe not fifty shades, but seriously overcast.  A little chill in the air.  The streets are a mass of puddles, and you know what?  Life is good (Clearly, I do not suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Now, I want you to know that my sunny disposition has nothing to do with the Glencairn glass in my hand, as I stand at the bottom of my driveway, attracting nervous stares from neighbours peering discretely from behind their curtains and motioning for their spouse to come have a look at the lunatic across the street.

I am relishing this weather.  I am looking at the fallen leaves and thinking to myself that whisky tastings need to get outdoors.  I have lead a few whisky tastings and they are invariably indoors, in a bar, a boardroom, somebody's living room and that is okay, but it would be a mistake to limit such tastings to such settings.  Let's take it outside!  I think whisky tastings should be held on rainy afternoons just like this one.

Imagine a group of us doing a 10k hike through a forest, work up a bit of a sweat, take in the cloudy sky, direction of the wind, color of the leaves, the trees, the rain and air.  We get to our destination, reach for a flask of say Talisker 10 and then discuss how its attributes of brine, sea air, smoke compliments the weather, the mood and crystallizes this moment in our memories forever.  Wouldn't that be nice?

I have moved up to my front step (probably much to the relief of my neighbours and passing motorists).  Still raining.    On this fine, solitary, outdoor whisky tasting of mine, Springbank 15 years is the perfect accompaniment to this weather.

Nose (undiluted)
Smoky, pungent beach wood fire, interesting peat notes mixed with fresh turned over loam, more black earth, cold orange pekoe tea.

Palate (undiluted)
Ashy, sooty but with nice complexity.  A weave of lentils, lime and gingerbread.  The body of this malt is light but has presence.  Oily character and medium peat.

Finish (undiluted)
Did somebody collect thicket forming thorny bushes from Winnie-the-Pooh's 100 acre wood and build a huge bonfire and bottle it?  'cause that is what I am tasting.  Hmmm.  Long finish of that briar patch smoke, charred oak.  All well done!

General Impressions
I'm in the backyard now.  No neighbours directly behind my house (thank God!), just a stand of trees and farm land.  Contemplating this whisky (and trying to ignore the fact that my lawn is in dire need of a mowing) is a pleasure in this September rain, with a lazy wind that blows through ya rather than around.

My cousin, HD, in the NYC vicinity, introduced me to this scotch whisky.  He's an Islay fan, so I was initially surprised he was enamoured with this Campbelton malt.

When I think of Campbelton, a recognized scotch whisky producing region of Scotland, I think of Glen Scotia, a distillery that has had its up and downs.  The bottles I have had from that distillery have varied from good to poor, but all tended to be light, with some grassy notes and caramel.  Not overly smoky or peated.  There are only three distilleries in operation in Campbelton today.  Springbank is another and it is held in much higher regard by the critics and the whisky consuming public.

What really surprised me about Springbank 15 was how oily, peated and smoky this malt was.  If you visit the website for this distillery it provides a tasting note that is not at all congruent with my tasting experience.  The distillery describes this whisky as tasting  "creamy, raisins, dark chocolate, figs, marzipan, brazil nuts and vanilla.  Finish: Oak and sherry notes sustain, mingling with hints of leather."  I am not getting any of that.  Fortunately, I am not alone in this observation.  An anonymous reviewer at Whisky Connosr had the same disconnect with the distillery's tasting note.  So, I guess I am not totally crazy, notwithstanding the opinions of my gossipy neighbours.

I guess the disconnect for me is the statement by the distillery on it's site that this whisky was 100% sherry cask.  Huh?  Sherry is hardly a feature of this malt in my opinion.  If it is, it is well hidden underneath a fog of peat smoke and a pyre of beach driftwood.  Just not getting the sherry influence here.  Not a flaw.  Just an observation.  Bottom line:  this is not what I would call a sherried malt regardless of the distillery's claim to be matured in 100% ex-sherry casks.  The casks could not have been first-fill or at least not in very high proportion.

The 46% abv gives great intensity to the flavors of wood ash.  I very much enjoyed this whisky without the addition of water.  Well made for 46% abv.  Not overpowering, but certainly asserts its personality very well.

Still in the backyard.  The flowers have lost their bloom.  Leaves are turning color and it is still raining.  I don't mind because my Springbank warms me and I think I will hike through those trees at the back of the lot (that will give those neighbours something to talk about!).

Cheers!

Jason Debly

P.S.  What about Springbank 10 years?  I strongly recommend it but I should point out it is more sherried with an interesting layering of flavors.  There is something artisian about what this distillery is doing.  It is a very unique style.  To my surprise I think I am more enthusiastic over the 10 than the 15.  Go out and get a bottle and enjoy the lower price too!

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved. Any and all use is prohibited without permission.  Please note that the photograph of the bottle of Springbank 15 was taken by Flickr member ggmackem, who holds all copyright and no reproduction is permitted without her permission.  My own photographs of Springbank were lost when my daughter dropped my blackberry in the swimming pool.  Fortunately, I stumbled upon ggmackem's great photograph.  All other photographs are taken by me, but I may permit reproduction if you ask nicely!