As someone who is firmly entrenched (and ensconced) in the world of malt, I don’t concern myself too readily or seriously with blended whisky. But don’t misread that last sentence. By the same token, I make a fairly concerted effort to ensure I don’t fall into the trap of being a malt snob, or dismissing blends without giving them due regard. There are some tremendous blended whiskies out there, and it would be both arrogant and folly to write off an entire category of whisky, simply because one’s tastebuds have developed beyond the likes of Vat 69 or 100 Pipers. So, when the good folks at La Martiniquaise in France offered to send me a bottle of their newly released Label 5 “Gold Heritage”, I felt obliged to give it a fair hearing…
Label 5 hasn’t had a long history in Australia, and whilst many readers may not be overly familiar with the brand (it’s been available through the supermarket chains for some time now), it is a far more illustrious brand overseas. In actual fact, it is in the top 10 blended Scotch whiskies for market share, and comes in at No. 28 on the list of top 30 biggest selling whiskies in the world. (Based on sales figures for 2012). Bear in mind that in that top 30 list, positions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23, and 25 are all Indian whiskies that you’ve probably never heard of! So, if you take out the insanely large Indian contribution to world whisky, Label 5 is very much a major player – selling two and a half times as many bottles as Glenfiddich, which is the world’s biggest selling single malt.
Gold Heritage is the latest creation from Label 5’s blending lab. Graham Coull, Master Blender, explains: “Gold Heritage is a personal achievement for me. Building on the traditions of Label 5, I have hand-selected whiskies from different ages and casks which marry together to produce a wonderfully balanced blend. The result is an exceptionally smooth whisky loaded with fruit, spice, warm vanilla oak and subtle smoke, which offers a unique taste experience.”
The press release advises further that some of the malt whiskies contributing to the blend are over 20 years old, and that the intention was to capture a mix between the smoky, peaty, older malts, and the creamy, vanilla notes of the contributing grain whiskies. There is no age statement, and it’s been bottled at 40% ABV.
Gold Heritage is launching in the USA first, followed shortly by China and Australia. At time of writing, no word on RRP for Australia, but I note the US RRP is $40 (for a 750ml bottle), and that the entry level Label 5 expression (Classic Black) retails in Australia for $33.
And so, with all of that as background, I sat down over two separate nights this week to tackle this whisky and get better acquainted with it. My thoughts?
First and foremost, this struck me immediately as being very much a blend. That probably sounds trite and stupid, but think about it: What it means is that there’s a little bit of everything, and that it was an inoffensive, well-rounded whisky that didn’t have any spikes in its flavour profile. Precisely what most blends set out to achieve. However, re-phrasing that a little more bluntly, the flavour profile is flat. Everything is blended together so acutely and homogenised that one must work hard to identify the individual components.
The nose is sweet and offers delicate spice, hints of toffee, and certainly lots of vanilla. The palate, for me, seems very grain-heavy. I don’t know what the grain-to-malt ratio is for this whisky, but I can’t help but suspect the malt content is relatively low. I just couldn’t find enough malty character or sparkle. The finish is short, and the mouthfeel and texture is thin. As someone who appreciates a good nose on a whisky, there was a bit here to keep me enthused, but the palate lacked body and punch – at least, to my taste.
When all is said and done, it’s a smooth-drinking, approachable, and unchallenging whisky that hits its mark. If you enjoy a decent blend, or if you’re happy kicking back with a simple dram over ice, or perhaps even with a mixer, then I suspect you’ll enjoy this whisky. If you’re a malt tragic who doesn’t get out of bed for anything less than a 12yo Speysider, this whisky is unlikely to push your buttons.
Cheers,
AD
