Johnnie Walker continues to extend their portfolio and bring interest to the category of blended Scotch whisky with a number of new and/or limited edition releases. The “Blue Label” brand has many incarnations and variations these days since it was first expanded with the King George V release several years ago now.
The latest Blue Label release comes with all the usual fanfare and back-story, but this one will deservedly and legitimately grab your attention. For, whilst many rare blends tease you with vague or enigmatic tales of especially “rare” or “old” whiskies making up the blend (but never telling you what they are), Blue Label’s first “Ghost and Rare” release proudly shows its hand and tells you its secrets. And any whisky that declares Brora as a key ingredient is going to draw the interest of whiskyphiles.
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is a series of special releases using whiskies from “ghost” distilleries – that is, distilleries that have closed and no longer exist. These are then combined with a small number of other rare whiskies to create a rich and special blend.
The first edition of Ghost and Rare is particularly special: Just eight component whiskies make up the blend. (Compare this to Johnnie Walker Red and Black Labels, both of which typically have around 40 component whiskies). The eight component whiskies in this Ghost & Rare release can be cut several ways:
– 6 malt whiskies and 2 grain whiskies
– 3 ghost distilleries and five “alive” distilleries.
The ghost whiskies featured here are Brora, Pittyvaich (both malts), and Cambus (grain). The other five distilleries are Clynelish, Royal Lochnagar, Glenlossie, Glenkinchie (all malts), with Cameronbridge rounding out the grain. Impressively, the bottle comes with a map of Scotland on one side, and the geographic locations of the eight contributing distilleries are nicely displayed. It is a rare and welcome point of transparency, as well as a genuine point of interest (everyone likes to know what they’re drinking) and Johnnie Walker is to be commended accordingly.
So, with such impressive pedigree, how does this whisky stack up? Whisky and Wisdom’s thoughts as follows….
Prior to trying the new Ghost and Rare, the regular Blue Label served as a calibrating dram. As always, it is light, fruity, delicate, and displays soft cereal notes. However, the contrast with the Ghost and Rare release could not have been more stark: On picking up a glass of the Ghost and Rare, the first and instant observation is that the nose is rich and alluring. The whisky has been bottled at 46% ABV, and the extra strength and zest in the spirit is immediately obviously. If regular Blue Label is light and fruity, then the Ghost and Rare is much richer and thicker, and displays much heavier, denser fruits.
Only two of the component whiskies are from Speyside (Pittyvaich and Glenlossie), with Brora, Clynelish and Royal Lochnagar all being much heavier and more robust Highland malts. This gives the resulting whisky a depth and character that extends well beyond your typical “vanilla” blend. No, in contrast, this whisky is full-flavoured and genuinely complex. With no Islay whisky in the blend, it would be a stretch to say the whisky is smoky (even though the official tasting notes claim a “subtle, smoky finish”), there is a certain earthy and soft charcoal note hiding in the depths of the palate, presumably the fingerprints and contribution of Brora.
The mouthfeel is rich and unctuous in texture (almost syrupy, compared with some whiskies), and again this is helped no end by the higher 46% ABV. The dram is surprisingly savoury, with lush umami notes and a sweeter finish that borders into dark chocolate territory.
Ghost and Rare – this first edition, at least, now known as “Brora” – is indeed a rare whisky in that it lives up to its hype and the bottle’s contents support and endorse the story behind it. It’s a rewarding whisky and one I could genuinely sit with and sip for hours by the fire side. With the summer months drawing to an end and the temperatures about to drop (at least for those of us in the southern hemisphere), now might be a good time to pick this up whilst it’s available and enjoy in the cooler months.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare will retail in Australia at $480 and will be available through Dan Murphys and a small number of independents.
Cheers,
AD
Other Johnnie Walker reviews and write-ups by Whisky & Wisdom:
Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen
Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish
Blender’s Batch – Red Rye Finish
The new 18yo
Black Label Sherry Edition
