Johnnie Walker Celebrates Famous Glasgow Grain Distillery of Port Dundas for Fifth Ghost and Rare

Today, Johnnie Walker, the world’s No 1 Scotch Whisky[1], announces the fifth release in the award winning[2] Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series of limited editions.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas explores the character of exceptional and rare whiskies from one of world’s most famous Grain Whisky distilleries, the Glasgow “ghost” distillery of Port Dundas.

This renowned distillery, nestled on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, shipped its distinct Scotch from Glasgow to ports across the world for nearly 200 years. Built in 1811, at the highest point in the city’s rich commercial history, Port Dundas became a whisky blending powerhouse. Eventually growing to become a distillery known for its distinctive sweet and delicate Grain character before it closed in 2010.

The Johnnie Walker team of expert whisky makers, led by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Dr Emma Walker, handpicked the most distinctive expressions of maturing whisky from Port Dundas for this new limited edition.  

It is the first Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare release from Emma, who has worked in the Johnnie Walker team for more than a decade and who took on the prestigious role of Johnnie Walker Master Blender at the beginning of 2022.

Emma chose to shine a light on these incredible expressions from Port Dundas, choosing a small number of distinctive, aged whiskies from our reserves, all matured in two differing wood types to add depth and layers to the blend – with whiskies from aged second fill American oak bringing a touch of creamy vanilla, and Scotch from first fill highly charred American oak bringing a subtle wood spice.

Emma says: “Port Dundas was, in its day, one of the finest Grain Whisky distilleries in the world and the rare expressions that we have chosen from our reserves are some of the most distinctive it has ever produced - their slow maturation allowing their sweet and delicate Grain character to blossom.

“These rare whiskies highlight the distillery character of Port Dundas, perfectly showcasing the wonderful depth of flavour that this Grain Whisky brings to Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Its incredible character inspired us to create something truly extraordinary that pays proper tribute to the whisky makers of this storied Glasgow distillery.”

The Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare series of special editions is crafted using irreplaceable ‘ghost’ whiskies and other incredibly rare expressions from the unparalleled Johnnie Walker reserves used to create the award-winning* Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

To complement the fragrant wood spice character of Port Dundas, Emma and her team hand-selected two other ‘ghost’ whiskies from the distilleries of Cambus and Brora[3] before combining these with other very rare Scotch from five iconic distilleries - crafting something truly exceptional.

Creamy, wood notes from Port Dundas embrace the vanilla and soft smoke from the “ghost” whiskies of Cambus and original stocks of Brora. Other very rare whiskies from Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie reveal notes of spiced apples alongside Clynelish, Dailuaine and Auchroisk, bringing aromas of peaches and berries.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas follows the release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich (2021), Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal (2019), Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen (2018) and Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora (2017). Each edition in the series offers a fleeting opportunity to savour the depth of character of whiskies from distilleries whose spirit lives on in their dwindling stocks.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Dundas is bottled at an ABV of 43.8% and is available in selected markets globally from October 2022. Each bottle in this special release is individually numbered.

[1] IWSR

[2] The previous whisky in this limited edition series, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen, won Gold at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal, the third in the series, won Master at the Scotch Whisky Masters 2020 and Gold at World Whiskies Awards 2020. The most recent, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich Achieved Gold at the International Spirits Challenge 2021 and Gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 2022.

[3] While a new, modern distillery has recently opened on the site of the old Brora distillery and is called Brora, the whiskies it will - in time - produce will be very different to those laid down decades ago in the original Brora Distillery that closed its doors in 1983.