Label 5 Gold Heritage Scotch Review

By Emma Briones

Rating: B-

Label 5 expanded its range at the end of 2014 with a new expression: Label 5 Gold Heritage. The brand, owned by the French company La Martiniquaise, launched Label 5 Gold Heritage “to delight scotch whisky lovers who are looking to explore Label 5’s character in more depth.”

According to La Martiniquaise, this NAS expression is “a rich blend of exceptional whiskies that includes malts aged of more than 20 years.” So, while it’s a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky, there is some quite aged whisky in the blend, if perhaps only a little. The company also stated that Label 5 Gold Heritage presents a unique profile, accentuating the smooth Label 5 character with woody hints and spicy notes.

Label 5 Gold Heritage sits between Label 5 12 Year Old and Label 5 Extra Rare 18 Year Old. Its packaging is supposed to give a premium look to the iconic Label 5 Classic Black, through the use of gold and brown colors. This one is bottled at 40% ABV (80º proof).

The Scotch
Label 5 Gold Heritage has a light copper color in the glass, with small tears. On the nose is fresh and grassy. There are fresh fruit notes, a classic Label 5, among them you can smell some baked apples and a sassy touch of oranges. There are also light notes of malted cereals, that come along with sweet vanilla and honey aromas. It has also a gentle touch of cinnamon.

The whisky is mellow and light-bodied. There is some smoothness at first on the palate but later becomes a more complex dram. Label 5 Gold Heritage starts as a sweet and fruity blend. There are some caramel and vanilla notes in the beginning, followed by apples and oranges. Then, there is a grainy touch followed by an explosion of spices. There are cinnamon and ginger, with some faint touches of smoke.

The end is short and dry. There are some lingering spicy notes mixed up with a little touch of oak.

Label 5 Gold Heritage keeps the Label 5 character, with fresh fruity notes and a mellow and well-balanced dram. Even though, the aromas are more promising that what we finally find on the palate.

This expression doesn’t keep up with the great quality-price ratio that we can find in other blends from Label 5’s range. Although it is not as interesting as Label 5 Classic Black or its 12 Year Old brother, it is a nice and fresh dram, perfect for cocktails and warmer weather.

The Price
Label 5 Gold Heritage is available worldwide. In the U. S., it was launched with a suggested retail price of $40.