Jura 1997 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice

So far, Jura has been a bit disappointing to me. Not bad, but consistently seeming like it’s missing something. I want to like it as I’ve enjoyed much of what the distilleries on the various isles have produced and I haven’t yet tried the more peated bottles I picked up, which is the flavor profile I enjoy, so it may get better there, but I wanted to see how it fared bottled by others.

Jura 1997, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, Island (Jura) Single Malt, 46% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 1997, matured in refill Sherry hogsheads, and bottled in 2013. There is no formal age statement on this but it’s 15-16 years old depending on the specific dates of distillation and bottling. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Pale Gold, 0.3.

Nose: Fruit, citrus, tropical somewhat on the fruit note.

Taste: Brighter fruit, pepper comes in, settles as an appley malt.

Finish: Malty, mild burn, medium

This is one of those whiskies where smooth is a fine word for it. There’s really nothing objectionable about it and it goes down rather easily. Given that I really like peat, I’m still hopeful for the lightly and heavily peated bottles have from Jura to tickle me better than most from there has thus far, but I’ve yet to be wowed or impressed by a whisky from them.

Score: 77

SMWS Name: You wanted a whisky, didn’t you?