The penultimate release in Johnnie Walker’s series of standard editions is Platinum Label. The 18-year-old blend occupies the space between the non age statement releases of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and the strictly top shelf Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Housed in an impressive oversized hard plastic box, Platinum Label is what Johnnie Walker considers to be their most appropriate blend to give as a gift. The gorgeous bottle and overall presentation make an impression before popping the cork, to be sure.

Enjoying their position as the world’s top-selling whisky label has afforded the blenders at Johnnie Walker access to a wide range of single malts from which to shape their signature releases. In days gone by, master distillers would create “private blends” out of their more premium spirits. This is how today’s Johnnie Walker Platinum Label is intended to be viewed and marketed. The packaging and presentation does this justice as the bottle stands apart from others on any display shelf, perhaps only taking an aesthetic second chair to the top-tier Blue Label. This is certainly appropriate given their respective positions in the overall lineup, with Blue Label commanding a suggested retail price nearly double that of the somewhat premium-priced Platinum Label.

In terms of profile, Platinum Label is best described as having a strong representation of the Speyside region of Scotland punctuated by the peat smoke of Islay. The release is bottled at an easily approachable 40% ABV (80 proof) and features an 18 year age statement.

In their place will arise Johnnie Walker’s Platinum Label, an 18 Year Old blended whisky which is reported to have more of an intense, peaty character when compared to the Clynelish dominant Gold Label. Platinum is positioned between Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve Label within the hierarchy.