Jura Superstition, Destiny, & Prophecy

I started exploring Jura out of an interest in the island whiskies, something I discovered via Talisker since I like peat. While I haven’t found any of it offensive, nothing yet has hit me the way plenty of expressions from other distilleries have. I figure there are two things I could see affecting the spirit in a way that would appeal more to me: peat and age. 

Of course, none of what I’ve had has been decidedly peated, which I tend to disproportionately favor. I’ve had the 18 and found it nice enough, but nothing older. Over time I’ve acquired what I’ve gathered are the expressions from Jura which were peated – at least to a point that the peat is marketed on the label – as well as a 28 year old SMWS bottle. I’ll open the latter eventually, but for now I’ll be trying the Jura spirit (unfortunately NAS) at three levels of peatedness – lightly peated, peated, and heavily peated – by whatever standard they use to determine that (based on graphics on the website for currently available expressions it looks to be a variable percentage of the mashbill being peated). These peated expressions are all discontinued now, so I guess I’m about to find out if that’s unfortunate or not. 

These were all reviewed separately but collected into one post.

Jura Superstition, Island (Jura) Single Malt, 43% ABV

Minutia: A lightly peated NAS whisky. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny auburn, 1.4.5.

Nose: Burny molasses, wood, roasting nuts.

Taste: Sweet, nutty, burnty, floral, mild spices.

Finish: Spice, wood, slight smoke. Short.

Nice and light, but that burnty bit holds it back for me. Parts of this reminded me of Lagavulin Distillers Edition, which for me was a fickle dram occasionally on the nutty/molasses side, other times with the smoke. This is reminiscent of the nutty drams.

Score: 78

---

Jura Destiny, Island (Jura) Single Malt, 44% ABV

Minutia: A peated NAS whisky. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny auburn, 1.4.5.

Nose: Attic, green wood, vague apple, slight nut after a while.

Taste: Light, bright. Spice. Bit nutty.

Finish: Spice, heat, wood. Medium.

Surprisingly similar to Superstition given the declared differences in peatedness. Bit more body to it, though. They felt a lot like the same thing with a slightly increased ABV. 

Score: 78

---

Jura Prophecy, Island (Jura) Single Malt, 46% ABV

Minutia: A heavily peated NAS whisky. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny, 1.4.

Nose: Smoke, fruit cargo room of a wooden ship. Buttered popcorn after resting.

Taste: Spicy, salty, honey. Wood.

Finish: Smoked nuts. Slight spice. Medium. Smoky honey on the tail end.

A solid offering, I think the peat helps a lot. I’m not necessarily sad it’s discontinued as it wouldn’t be a terribly frequent buy, but if Jura does have future releases on the peatier side I’ll definitely seek them out.

Score: 82

---

Not too bad, overall. They remind a bit of the peated expressions from Bunnahabhain other than Toiteach.

Collective Musical Evocation: Delain – “We Are the Others”

Talisker 8 Special Release 2018

I started getting into whisky shortly before this was released, but I wasn’t into it enough to know that Diageo did an annual set of special releases, nor had I dipped my toe into ordering from overseas as that was the only way to get this in the US I believe. When I read about this, liking Talisker it was something I felt determined to try, particularly based on it being highly regarded. Eventually I did start ordering from Europe but this was nowhere to be found until I saw this available at an auction, so I started bidding and ended up winning it, and my bank account hasn’t forgiven me since.

Talisker 8 Special Release 2018, Island (Skye) Single Malt, 59.4% ABV

Minutia: Matured for 8 years in first fill bourbon casks, the label says they are deep charred.

Color: Russet muscat, 1.3.

Nose: Fresh, earthy smoke. Medicinal must. Leathery tobacco. Fruit struggles to break through.

Taste: Malty, honey, pepper, herbal.

Finish: Charred meat, black pepper, salt. A sweetness becomes known eventually, like a honey that tastes a bit like something else, or kind of like chocolate that isn’t Hershey’s. Medium, though most on the shorter side. A subtle linger extends to long. That sweetness is the most resilient part, but it gets less good as the other notes fade away and no longer compliment it.

A nice dram, and to me a pretty novel one as Talisker usually hits a bit more lightly. That sweetness left in the finish isn’t altogether unpleasant, but without the other notes still present it’s just a flavor that’s kind of there. I like this a lot, and while I didn’t record any notes with water here, I recall a nice chocolate coming out in the finish. It’s a good addition, and a bit is also lost, and I’d say it’s a net-zero gain with water. The secondary market prices are probably a bit too high for this, but the price at release of what converted to about $90 is not a steal but a fair price. I also have a bottle of the 15 year old from 2019 and the 8 year old rum finish from 2020 I’m even more keen on getting opened after having this one.

Score: 90

Musical Evocation: Alestorm – “Treasure Chest Party Quest”

Killowen 10 Bended Experimental Series Peated Cask

A new Irish distillery I heard was experimenting with peat in various capacities, I bought a bottle of this when I saw it available and hope to continue trying their peaty whiskey.

Killowen 10 Peat Cask, Ireland Blended Whiskey, 55.4% ABV

Minutia: 75% 2009 grain Irish whisky and 5% 2008 malt Irish whiskey from Ireland and 20% 2008 malt Irish whiskey from Northern Ireland. Started in ex-bourbon casks, blended and aged in Sherry butts, then married with another bourbon aged single malt and finished in a peated malt barrel yielding 398 50cl bottles. Bottle number 52. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry, 1.2.

Nose: Medicinal pot still whiskey, floral smoke, tobacco. With water, coffee, specifically mocha.

Taste: Fruity grain, hot. Very typically “Irish.” Wood. With water, maltier, tamer, specifically with the heat.

Finish: Smoked/charred meat, heat, oak, that Irish quality persists. Medium. With water, less flavorful, but less intense.

I scored this neat, and did not adjust after the water. It brought out a really nice coffee aroma on the nose, but the part I liked most, that meaty note in the finish, was gone. The finish was less hot, so overall easier to pick things out, but they did become muted. Experimentation with amounts of water could be beneficial. All in all interesting. It’s the first whiskey I’ve had that used casks that previously held peated malt, but did not use peated malt in the mashbill. Some drams it really just tasted like a typical Irish blended whiskey. Some drams it felt almost peated. On the pour where I was focused an taking notes, it definitely came through, but not so much that it could be mistaken for a peated whiskey. Neat experiment, looking forward to seeing what else they make in this vein.

Score: 82

Musical Evocation: Jogger – “Nephicide”

Caol Ila 18

This will always have a special place in my heart. I went to an Irish bar in Guatemala and ordered a Scottish whisky for which just shy of a pour remained so the Austrian bartender gave it to me at no charge. I enjoyed it, but it was well before I started taking notes, and I’ve finally gotten a bottle from which I can drink and take appropriate notes.

Caol Ila 18, Islay Single Malt, 43% ABV

Minutia: Based on the pack the came in it was bottled in 2005. Ex-bourbon casks. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Russet muscat, 1.3.

Nose: Smoke, vegetation, tangy BBQ, dried dark fruit, snuff.

Taste: Oak, pepper, smoky (ash).

Finish: Earthy peat smoke, musty wood/dunnage. Medium-long.

This is really nice, and better than I remember likely due to significant inexperience at the time. The jump up from the 12 has me super eager to try the 25 and older expressions, and has me particularly salty that the 30 year old special release wasn’t available at the bar of the restaurant where I spent my 30th birthday because the online menu wasn’t up to date..

Score: 92

Musical Evocation: Animetal – “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”