It’s no secret that whisky of all types have been getting a lot of interest in the last few years. From those taking their first soft steps with blended whisky, to those who have acquired a tidy collection, there’s a whisky for everyone.
Inevitably, however, curiousity will find the cat, and the urge to plunge into the wild, wild world of vintage, rare whiskies will prove irresistible. It’s just that those are too expensive.
Or are they?
Raiding the Vaults
It’s no secret that Diageo, the owners of Johnnie Walker, has a large stash of – quite literally – irreplaceable whisky. The combination of prudent investing and deep pockets have resulted in casks from mothballed or closed distilleries ending up in their hands, including Brora and Port Ellen, two cult classics.
The scramble for those particular whiskies only truly began after the distilleries’ doors were shut in 1983 during the whisky slump of that era. Brora, a Highland malt, was known for a sherried but lightly peated character, and the Port Ellen was known for its heavy peat- appropriate for a Islay whisky.
Now, the two distilleries are being resurrected by Diageo sometime in the near future, but it will be at least a decade before either will release their first new whiskies. Even then, doubts remain that the distilleries’ original characters will survive the reincarnation, so the old whiskies in the vault are still sought- one could say lusted- over.
For their part, Diageo have not been shy about sharing their finite stock. The British company has been releasing bottles in a steady trickle, usually as part of their special release program. The trouble is, these bottles are quite likely to disappear right after they appear on the market. Some end up in the hands of true whisky lovers, but many are snapped up by speculators and traders hoping to make a buck.
So what’s a curious but not somewhat less privileged whisky aficionado to do?
Blending in, Standing Out
Diageo’s solution was elegant; by blending them into Johnnie Walker under the Blue Labels, a compromise was finally found. In one stroke, they managed to stretch out their limited stock of rare whisky, and allow more people to taste them, while keeping prices affordable (but not cheap). The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora was released earlier, and now, it is followed by the Port Ellen.
It might be oxymoronic to showcase a single malt in a blended whisky. The whole point of a blend is to be consistent and instantly recognisable; you can quite often identify a Johnnie Walker by its grain sweetness and smoky finish. Putting a single malt in and expecting it to stand out seems like an uphill task.
Well, we find ourselves recalling that the original purpose of Port Ellen and Brora was to make whisky for blending. This seems like a more faithful return to their roots than a single malt, to be frank.
For our part, we compared the “regular” Blue Label with the Port Ellen and Brora blends to see if we could spot the differences. However, we were more concerned with another question: did we actually like the whisky?
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Nose: Heather, citrus zest, orange, honey and vanilla are immediately obvious. There is a some barley, nut and some mellow oak as well, with smoke forming a subtle layer underneath.
Palate: It starts with honey, lemon, then fresh apricot, before evolving into cocoa nibs. It takes a stroll into smoke, before the fruit sweetness re-exerts itself.
Finish: Slightly spicy, overall sweet and mellow, smoky with a nice peat.
Blue Label is quite a soft, pleasing blend indeed. It’s clearly made to be lighter and more elegant than the other labels, and the flavours- even the peat- are quite delicate and approachable.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora
Nose: Rather sweet, but quite unlike the Blue Label. The sweetness here is not floral, but full of sherried character. Figs, plums and ripe apricots abound. Surprisingly, we also got pineapple, honey, coconut and vanilla- but not much peat at all,
Palate: Pretty sweet and waxy. We get crystallised pineapple, honey, coconut and even nata de coco in the midnotes. Then, the whisky transitions to plums, figs, chocolate and even a bit of butter.
Finish: Spice, dark chocolate and a bit of smoke. The finish is longer than the blue.
The Brora is quite a bit richer and heavier in body than the regular blue. While the base Blue Label is a Muhammad Ali, this is all Mike Tyson- not floating like a butterfly, but delivering a powerful punch. The sherried character of Brora is front and center; fears that the distillery’s mark would not be felt were quite unfounded. Overall, excellent in its own right- we enjoyed the old-school sherry flavours.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen
Nose: Sweet, but not mellow. Instead of the floral, light notes of the Blue, and the heavy plum notes of the Brora, this has tropical fruits; mango. citrus and sweet orange. Some honey and nut here too, for sure. There’s also a very noticeable marine note.
Palate: Rich and thick. We get vanilla, cream, ripe mango and dark honey right off the bat. The mango, in particular, makes an impression. There’s some almonds and walnuts, followed by a slightly vegetal flavour. It then drifts into salt and smoke.
Finish: A nice long one, full of lemon rind and gentle smoke.
A fairly sweet whisky that we can see ourselves mistaking for a Speysider, save for the smoke. We were told afterward that other spectres of the past appeared in this blend; whiskies from Caledonian and Carsebridge were used, as well as Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol and Oban. That quite neatly explains our first impression.
There’s a nice balance here, a satisfying meld of robust flavours, tempered with finesse. The best of both worlds, and the best of the lot to our tastes.
Summing it all up
We were pleasantly surprised. Blends they may be, but the Ghost and Rare Brora and Port Ellen definitely gave the impression of very difference whiskies while having a Johnnie Walker feel to them. If the goal was for us to feel that they were both blends and single malts simultaneously, then we can say: mission accomplished.
The Port Ellen version in particular, caught our attention. It was arresting, but not clumsy, intoxicating but not cloying. There’s something quite special about that one, for sure.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen is priced at $518 for a 750ml bottle. It is available for purchase at all 1855 Bottle Shops and at selected specialist whisky stores.
