Larry Olmsted (Forbes): "Now there is the Platinum Label, slated to fit neatly between the Black and the top of the line Blue in the Johnnie Walker range of blended scotches, made from malts all at least 18 years old... Specially chosen old casks from 20-25 Scottish distilleries have been aging at Johnnie Walker’s facility since the last century, and these are the spirits from which the Platinum Label is made. The company’s tasting notes describe it as, 'Johnnie Walker Platinum Label is characterized by a sweet yet elegant Speyside style and subtle Islay smokiness. There is a waxy, fruity and sweet taste mixed with slight drying astringency and subtle smokiness.' Diageo sent me an advance sample to taste and I really liked it. I mean, I really liked it. It is appreciably richer than the Black Label, my longtime standard for blended Scotch, with a fatter mouth feel. In many ways it drinks more like a light single malt than a blend, except smoother. It is not overly woody, and despite the tasting notes, has just a background edge of peat and smoke, very little compared to Islay malts, but definitely more than the Red or Black. It’s layered enough where I would drink it neat, as I do withal single malts (and as I sampled it), whereas I almost always drink blended Scotches, including Red and Black, on the rocks. It also has a great finish, and for some time after I tasted it, my tongue kept reminding me how much I enjoyed it. I have not tried Blue Label in quite a while but if memory serves me, the Platinum is even richer and more complex, as the Blue is light in color and exceptionally smooth. At half the price, the Platinum seems a slam dunk in the ultra-premium category... (8/20/13)"
Product SKU | 317894 |
Producer | Johnnie Walker |
Size | 750ml |
Color | Other |
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