Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare (Port Dundas) / 43.8% / 0.7l

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Dundas is the fifth edition of the series, which consists of blends composed of extremely rare whiskies from the Diageo portfolio, coming from closed distilleries.

Port Dundas Distillery, based in Glasgow, was established in 1811. In 1885, it was the largest Scottish distillery – equipped with three distillation columns and five stills, it produced over 10 million litres of alcohol per year. Port Dundas is also one of the founders of the DCL group, whose legacy today belongs to Diageo. The plant underwent modernisation in the 1970s, which doubled its production capacity, but it was too small for the needs of the new century and in 2010 it ceased distilling. The whisky presented here is the creation of Emma Walker, who replaced the legendary Jim Beveridge, and her formula also included Brora, Clynelish, Auchroisk, Dailuaine, Glenkinchie, Cambus and Cameronbridge.

Nose : sweet, vanilla cream, toffee, honey, baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon, apricots, allspice, toasted oak and a trace of smoke in the background.

Palate: slightly smoky, honeyed cereal, vanilla cream, milk fudge, peaches, apricots, cherries, a pinch of cinnamon and pepper and toasted oak.

Finish: quite long, with notes of vanilla, toffee, sweet bread, kitchen spices, oak and peat smoke in the background.