JOHNNIE WALKER'S CORE EXPRESSION MAKEOVER

 LABELS OF THE RED, BLACK, GOLD AND BLUE REWORKED

To celebrate the ones who keep walking, Johnnie Walker has created a bold new look for four of their most celebrated Scotch whiskies: Johnnie Walker Red Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

This is a rather surprising definition. From time immemorial, their core whiskies were the 10 YO Red and the 12 YO Black Label expressions. This grew as the era evolved, and the excellent Swing was added. Then the Red Label went NAS, but remained eminently drinkable, right up to the 1980s. In a surprising move, it next underwent a sea change to emerge undrinkable. Apparently, the management had consigned it to the boondocks as an NAS whisky solely for mixing. The 15 YO Blended Malt Green Label was next to appear. Then came its prized expression, the NAS Blue Label. Two more followed suit, the Gold and the Platinum Labels. Both were 18 Years old, an odd confusing decision at the managerial level.

Confusion reigned for some years and the Green Label was withdrawn, while the NAS Island Green Blended Malt was introduced, mainly in Travel Retail. The 18 YO Gold Label was replaced by a Gold Reserve, initially a 16 YO and later, an NAS whisky. In between came the Double Black Label, again NAS. The 15 YO Green Label blended malt was brought back with some changes to the recipe. Platinum Label was withdrawn and reintroduced as Johnnie Walker 18 YO. Finally, the XR-21 made its debut! The new expressions are the same old JW expressions, bottled differently and far removed from the original designs of the Walker grocer family of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

A limited-edition design on the outside, same old blends within. This bundle includes four basic brands as Limited Edition bottles: One 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label Limited Edition, one 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label Limited Edition, one 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Limited Edition and one 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Depths of flavour. I keep hoping that the original JW Red Label 10 YO would resurface for some period of time. These whiskies have been examined at great length here.