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Diageo reveals Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years

Diageo's blended whisky brand Johnnie Walker has relaunched its 18 Years Old Platinum Label Scotch whisky with a new name, Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years, and an accompanying new look.

The blend of up to 18 different whiskies, each chosen for their flavour and character, is a re-branding of the award winning Johnnie Walker Platinum Label.

Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years is the creation of master blender Dr Jim Beveridge, who has sought out the combination of 18-year-old whiskies drawn from the main whisky producing regions of Scotland.

Nick Temperley, head of Diageo Reserve GB, says: “Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years is crafted using our unrivalled reserves of mature whiskies. The myriad of flavour is unlike any other, giving this Scotch an unparalleled quality. We know there’s a real consumer demand for 18-year-old whiskies, and hope to see the new name and packaging resonate well with our customers.”

Jim Beveridge says: “I find older whiskies fascinating to work with. The great whiskies I’ve selected for this blend have undergone a slow, easy maturation through at least 18 cold winters and warm summers. It’s a long time to wait but these whiskies have a wonderful balance.

“The challenge with this blend was to create a smooth and complex whisky with distinctive, big flavours. Older malt whiskies can become quite constrained over time and the key to unlocking their flavours is small, carefully judged quantities of 18-year-old Lowland grain whisky.

“I have chosen up to 18 different whiskies with remarkable flavour and character, including classic Speyside malts, such as Cardhu, Glen Elgin and Auchroisk for their sweetness and elegance; fruity and complex Highland malts including Blair Athol and beautifully aged island malts that enable me to introduce such a subtle smokiness."

Available this summer, Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years will retail at £84 for 70cl with an ABV of 40%.

Below: The launch of Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years is supported by this short film which follows Jim Beveridge in his pursuit of the 18-year-old blended Scotch whisky