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SCMP Reporter

Everyone knows about Johnnie Walker red label whisky. That is the familiar bottle of pouring Scotch you see in bars all over the world. It retails in Hong Kong for about $150. It is what Jimmy in Glasgow knocks back on a Saturday night, good, everyday drinking whisky.

  Almost as many people recognise Johnnie's black label, which at about $270 a bottle in a supermarket is aimed at those who want a more mature blend of Scotland's most renowned product.

  Now we have Johnnie Walker Gold.

  What is the difference? Well, if you are an average sort of soul who likes a Scotch and soda, not a lot.

  But if you are a connoisseur, the gold label tastes much smoother, milder and more sophisticated. Is it worth the extra money, considering that the latest version sells for $550? That's up to you.

  Launched here just before Christmas, Johnnie Gold is aimed unashamedly at those who do not mind paying more to drink what is perceived as an up-market version of the old familiar label.

  To judge by his picture on the label, Johnnie must have been a bit of a boy. Jauntily, he strides out in his tight breeches, boots and red coat, every inch the squire. He looks as though he has enjoyed a couple of healthy belts of his own product.

  Maybe he did, 175 years ago when his name brand was first launched. Young John, aged 15, was a canny, shrewd businessman. He settled in Kilmarnock with a modest inheritance which he invested in a shop selling wines and spirits.

  He started blending whisky from local distilleries.

  John's grandson, Alexander, drew up the recipes for the red and black, which were marketed under the name Johnnie Walker's Old Highland Whisky.

  Alexander was knighted for his efforts. He came up with the exclusive gold blend back in the 1920s, when there was an extreme shortage of mature malts. According to local distributors, Riche Monde, there is still a very limited supply of the gold label - which is why we have not seen it around before.

  Now, Hong Kong has been added to the list of cities where it will sell, mostly in five-star hotel lounges.

  The average person who sips this straight or with a careful dash of water may think: 'Well, that's nice.' If you are a laird with an educated palate, you may be able to appreciate that the contents of the stylish bottle is a mixture of 15 distinct whiskies, each of which has matured at least 18 years before joining the blend.

  After a couple of jolts of this genial spirit, you may even believe some of the stories the Johnnie Walker salesmen tell you. Apparently, a century ago, there was a gold rush in Clynemilton, up in the Highlands. Prospectors dug in the bed of the spring-fed icy waters, which supposedly glistened with a strange luminescence. One wonders if they had been into the local product.

  The gold rush - nobody struck it rich - diminished, but the clear Highland waters remained. They are the basis for Clynelish malt, the major component among the 15 different whiskies in the blend.

  All of them are renowned for different qualities, some for fragrance of smell, others for honey flavour.

  The secret of blending the various malts is to find the balance of strength and character that appeals to the widest range of discerning drinkers.

  It has a rather smoky, aromatic flavour. I had a glass to accompany some smoked trout on brown bread. It was sensational.



Getting that golden glow