The latest Johnnie Walker release captures the essence of long-closed ‘ghost’ distillery Port Ellen.
It the second release in a new series of whiskies made, in part, from spirit produced in now closed distilleries and sourced from the Blue Label reserves, Johnnie Walker has released the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen.
Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge has long been passionate about exploring the unique flavours in whiskies from a small number of iconic distilleries closed many years ago that lend an extraordinary depth of character to the award-winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Each limited edition in the Ghost and Rare series shines a light on a selection of the rare malt and grain whiskies that go into each and every drop of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. At the heart of the new limited edition lies the Islay single malt, Port Ellen, a ‘ghost’ distillery that shut its doors in 1983 – one of the rarest and most highly sought-after single malts in the world.
Sitting low on the water’s edge at Kilnaughton Bay, watched over by the four-sided Carraig Fhada lighthouse and the occasional ethereal glow of the Northern Lights, the Port Ellen distillery is now silent but the memory of the ships setting sail with their precious cargo of unique single malt whisky is one that still endures.
To recapture this spirit, Jim and his team hand-selected seven of the rarest expressions of individual whiskies, of no less than 20 years of age, from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker Blue Label reserves and intricately crafted them to balance the unique character of Port Ellen.
According to the blender, this incredibly rare ‘ghost’ whiskies from Caledonian and Carsebridge adds layers of creamy, vanilla sweetness whilst rare expressions of malts from Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol and Oban deliver rolling waves of waxy citrus, rich malt and tropical fruit flavours, perfectly balanced by the distinctive maritime smokiness of Port Ellen that lingers in the long and warming finish.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is bottled at an ABV of 43.8% and is available in individually-numbered 750ml bottles.
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