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.
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”
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