Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare – Port Dundas

The time has finally come. The new Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare has reached the Whivie HQ. After the Brora, Port Ellen, Glenury Royal and Pittyvaich releases (and let's not forget the Legendary Eight!) now it's time for Port Dundas! Now I must confess, when I first saw the announcement and realized that a closed grain distillery was going to play the leading role, I frowned for a moment. But after I tasted it at a whisky festival, I knew immediately that I also wanted a bottle (or three) of this one, because it has become a work of art again. This time it's a creation of the new Master Blender, Emma Walker, who followed in the footsteps of legendary Jim Beveridge in October 2021. And in addition to Port Dundas (about 2km north of Glasgow and closed since 2009), Emma Walker also used Cambus (also a closed grain distillery, since 1993) and Cameronbridge, supplemented with malt whiskies from the warehouses of Glenkinchie, Auchroisk, Dailuaine, Clynelish and (the recently reopened) Brora. It is a composition of 7 whiskies and again bottled at 43.8%. Boy, what a long introduction. Now let's taste.

The first thing you'll notice are the surprisingly fresh notes of vanilla and coconut, which immediately betray Port Dundas' fingerprint. This is further complemented by a particularly soft spiciness of the wood. A pinch of cinnamon. Then quite a few fruity notes of apricot, peach and mirabelles appear. A floral touch, too. Very fresh and a bit creamy.

Silky smooth on the tongue. Fantastic mouthfeel. Nice and round and rich. Waxy (thank you, Clynelish and Dailuaine). Spicier than the nose suggested, but the fruitiness is excellent. The stone fruit of the nose is further supplemented with red berries and unripe pineapple. And the whole thing is nicely wrapped in a soft smokiness that seems to become intense for a moment, but then discreetly moves itself back into the background.

The finish is also excellent. Nice and long, spicy warm and intensely fruity with that beautiful smoky touch that slowly fades away.

Kudos, Emma! And so, you see. Never judge a book by its cover, right? What a blissful whisky. About 300 EUR and worth every penny.

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