Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora

This is a Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the Ghost and Rare series, the line built around stocks from closed and rare distilleries, bottled in 2017 at 46%. This edition centres on whisky from Brora, the silent Highland distillery whose make is among the most sought after in Scotch, set within the wider Blue Label blend rather than offered as a single malt in its own right.

As a blended Scotch it brings together malt and grain whiskies of different ages and origins, the rare closed distillery components giving the blend its character while the grain whisky lends a light, smooth backbone. Brora contributes the refined coastal smoke and waxy depth that give the Ghost and Rare line its appeal among collectors.

At 46% it is rounded and complex. The malts bring dried fruit, a nutty old wood depth and orchard sweetness, the grain a creamy vanilla, and the Brora heart a gentle maritime smoke with a touch of salt. The finish is long and polished, a sweet and smoky blend built around a distillery that has long fallen silent. Ghost and Rare bottlings have become collectors' pieces as the distilleries behind them recede further into history and their casks dwindle.