Whisky : Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen

Country/Region : Scotland/Blend

ABV : 43.8%

Nose : Sea, citrus rinds, and old wood.  A sweet clean sea breeze blew in first before notes of starchy pasta water, swimming pools, and lavender surfaced.  Subtle hints of citrus lingered in the background with orange blossom tea and lemon pound cake.  Mild green wood smoke appeared with more time to breath along with notes of an old ryokan wood floor.

Palate :  Light and delicate with a nice oily mouthfeel that covered the palate with notes of dried herbs, salt, and tea.  Smoked sea salt appeared first with an herbal tea and dehydrated apple slices.  The fruitiness was subtle like a fruit infused oolong tea.  Slightly bitter herbal notes of matcha on the mid palate before sweeter notes of incense and tobacco leaf appeared at the end.

Finish :  Lingering dryness with subtly sweet oolong tea and old wood.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Steaming Teapot on a Snowy Night

Notes : I heard good things about the Ghost and Rare range of Johnnie Walker and the Port Ellen edition had long been on my sights to try.  The big question, which usually entails a cynical response, has always been just how much Port Ellen is really in the blend?  Honestly, after trying it, I could not tell you.  I have had two other Port Ellen at the time of typing and while I can see some connection, ultimately this is blend and intended to be more than the sum of the casks involved.  For all I know this could have tons of Port Ellen, but maybe the casks had some extreme flavor characteristics or cask influence that needed to be balanced by other components.  This blend included malts from Oban, Cragganmore, Mortlach, Port Ellen, Blair Athol, and Dailuaine as well as grains from Carsebridge and Caledonian.  Just like Port Ellen those last two grain distilleries are ghosts distilleries.

Overall, this blend was a cut above most— though I would still rate Diageo’s 2018 Cladach a couple notches above this one.  The flavor notes on that were crisper and more clear and it was easier to distinguish the influence of some of the individual components.  As with many of the Johnnie Walker Blue bottles, I take the Blue as a symbol of status and conspicuous consumption more than I do a mark of quality.  

I loved that Diageo included which distilleries contributed to the blend, I would love to see them do that more often (which they have in some cases).  I know most consumers do not bother with the minute details of a blend and that the SWA limits information on ages, but as a hobbyist, enthusiast, or aficionado, I love the little details and I wish they included more about the casks used.  While information will not help me enjoy a scotch any more than I already do, it helps me appreciate it and the work that went into it.

Image Credit : The Whisky Exchange