Johnnie Walker Blue Label Limited Edition Year of the Dog Blended Scotch Whisky 750ml

Loyalty takes center stage in the Year of the Dog, and Johnnie Walker's 2018 Lunar New Year edition of Blue Label celebrates it with one of the warmest designs in the zodiac series. Released for the new year beginning in February 2018, the bottle honors the dog's ancient reputation as humanity's truest companion, a fitting theme for a whisky so often opened among old friends. In the zodiac's telling, those born under the sign are honest, steadfast and quietly brave, qualities the design celebrates at every turn.

The artwork was created with Taiwanese artist Page Tsou, who set the brand's Striding Man on a journey around the world in the company of a loyal Shar Pei. Four dogs, each chosen for its special meaning across Asia, populate a design that unfolds like an ancient Chinese triptych filled with glowing lanterns, bursting fireworks and dancing dragons. Precious-metal detailing and a lacquered finish give the bottle the feel of a keepsake rather than a package.

Within is the Blue Label blend itself, drawn cask by cask from Johnnie Walker's deepest reserves, where only about one in ten thousand meets Master Blender Jim Beveridge's standard. Stocks from ghost distilleries lend the whisky its haunting depth. Bottled without an age statement, it is blended for character rather than number. The palate moves from honeyed fruit and hazelnut through waves of dark chocolate and gentle spice, closing on the velvety smoke that has defined the blend for generations.

Dog years honor faithfulness, fairness and the bonds that outlast fashion, which is why this edition became a favorite gift between lifelong friends and family patriarchs alike. Like each of its zodiac siblings it was made for one season only, securing its place in the twelve-year collectible cycle. Open it for an anniversary, a reunion or a new year, and pour for the people who have walked the longest roads beside you.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
• Age: No age statement
• Origin: Scotland
• Distillery: Johnnie Walker (Diageo) - blended from distilleries across Scotland
• Style: Blended Scotch Whisky
• Series/Edition: Year of the Dog - Lunar New Year zodiac series, released 2018
• Artwork/Design: Page Tsou triptych of the Striding Man with a Shar Pei companion, lanterns, fireworks and dragons; lacquered, metal-detailed finish
• Tasting Notes: Honeyed fruit, hazelnut, dark chocolate, gentle spice, velvety smoke