Review / Johnnie Walker Blue Label 'Ghost & Rare' Pittyvaich

This whisky is the fourth bottling in the Blue Label Ghost & Rare series from Johnnie Walker. The best selling Scotch whisky brand created the limited edition series to highlight old and rare whiskies from closed distilleries. This new release focuses on the 'ghost' Speyside distillery of Pittyvaich, which only operated from 1974 to 1993 and was located in Dufftown. The whisky's creator is Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and features two other 'ghost' closed distilleries of Carsebridge and Port Dundas. Other rare whiskies included come from the Highland and Speyside distilleries of Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Mannochmore, Royal Lochnagar and Strathmill.

Review - John Walker & Sons Bicentennial Blend

The Bicentennial Blend is one of three special bottlings by Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling Scotch whisky, that have been created to celebrate its 200th anniversary. The other two new whiskies are the Celebratory Blend and the Blue Label Legendary Eight. There is also a special commemorative pack for the regular Blue Label bottling. The three new whiskies are all limited editions and have been created by Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and his team at Diageo. John Walker opened his grocery shop in King Street, Kilmarnock in 1820 and began blending his own whiskies in the cellar.

Review - Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight

The Blue Label Legendary Eight is one of three special bottlings by Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling Scotch whisky, for its 200th anniversary. The other two new whiskies are the Celebratory Blend and the Bicentennial Blend, both released under the John Walker & Sons name. There is also a special commemorative pack for the regular Blue Label bottling. The three new whiskies are all limited editions and have been created by Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and his team at Diageo. John Walker opened his grocery shop in King Street, Kilmarnock in 1820 and began blending his own whiskies in the cellar.

Review - Johnnie Walker Blue Label 'Ghost & Rare' Port Ellen Edition

The Port Ellen Edition is the latest expression in the Ghost & Rare series from the popular blended Scotch whisky brand of Johnnie Walker. All sit under the super premium Blue Label umbrella and the whiskies included are all either rare and old, or from closed distilleries that are mothballed, demolished or no longer in operation. The Port Ellen Edition, which was released in late 2018, is a blend of eight such whiskies.

It naturally features prominently the Islay distillery of Port Ellen, hence the name, which closed in 1983 and also two whiskies from other closed (or 'ghost') distilleries - the single grains of Caledonian and Carsebridge. Five old malts are also included from the distilleries of Blair Athol, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Mortlach and Oban. The whiskies were selected by Jim Beveridge, the Master Blender for the Johnnie Walker range.

Review - Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Rum Cask Finish & Espresso Roast

These two whiskies are the latest expressions to be released in to Johnnie Walker's experimental Blenders’ Batch series. The Rum Cask Finish (Experiment #8) and the Espresso Roast (Experiment #9) have been created by Jim Beveridge, the Johnnie Walker Master Blender, along with his team of 12 blenders. This includes Chris Clark, who worked exclusively on the Rum Cask Finish, and Aimée Gibson, who developed the Espresso Roast project. Both new whiskies have been designed with bartenders in mind.

Review - Johnnie Walker Select Casks 'Rye Cask Finish'

The Select Casks is a new limited edition range from Johnnie Walker, the world's biggest selling Scotch whisky brand. Each bottling in the range will feature a different and experimental wood/cask finish and further expressions are scheduled to be released over the next couple of years. The first in the Select Casks series is the Rye Cask Finish. The special blend has been crafted by Jim Beveridge, the Johnnie Walker Master Blender, and has been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon American oak casks for 10 years before being transferred to ex-American rye whiskey casks for six months.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 14, 2015)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

New releases - Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve & Platinum Label

The world famous Johnnie Walker blended whisky range has just seen a big change in it's line up.  Two new expressions - the Gold Label Reserve and the Platinum Label - have appeared to replace the outgoing Green Label and Gold Label 18 years old respectively.  This change follows research in to consumer buying trends, which are seeing more people trade up to premium blended whiskies than ever before. The change has been overseen by Jim Beveridge, the Johnnie Walker Master Blender, who has created the two new whiskies so that there is now more natural progression through the range.