Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen

oak, tannin, salt, brine, strong harsh burn. like glen fiditch on the nose

Picked this up tonight - I was blown away... I have bottle or regular blue ...and it’s not great. This it a fantastic blend with delicate notes of citrus, Werthers original, cereal grains, rye spice, pineapple, mango, and chocolate ... phenomenal.

This is pretty good stuff for Johnnie Walker. Beautiful sweet peat. very lagavullin like...car oil, smokey, waxy. A very complex dram. Slightly shorter on the aftertaste, but still great experience. They didn't skimp on the good stuff.

I wasn’t a fan of the Blue at all. In fact, I loved the JW Green, which is a fraction of the Blue’s cost, so much more. But this one is a different beast. It’s not a full onslaught of smoke like a Lagavulin, or a delicate balance of floral like a Hibiki. Instead, it takes a wisp of smoke and harmonizes it really well with an elegant backbone of honey, floral elements, and some salt. I’m not sure how much Port Ellen is really in this, but it’s enouh to add that smoky wisp. More importantly, even though Port Ellen is the highlight name, I have a feeling it’s the other two ghosted grain distilleries (Cameronbrodge and Cally) that are the ones driving the elegance. If you’re contemplating buying the Blue...don’t. This is a bit more, but a whole better experience.