There are a few whiskies that continue to dwell in the shadows of near anonymity; they aren’t necessarily unknown but just as common as common sense. Lacking branding, big budgets and the logistical prowess, distilleries aren’t always able to penetrate specific markets, leaving them with little real estate at the local liquor stores, barring of course, duty free.
Jura to me is an expression that is a bit lacking in stardom but pulls its weight well. A Highland whisky by definition and an island whisky geographically, this dynamic lends the spirit to both maritime and coastal influences, equipping the distillers with additional tools to brew layers into their whisky beyond what cooperages could offer. The island is also home to handsome peat reserves, but that hasn’t forced the distillery to churn out copious volumes. In fact, they do not spend more than a few weeks creating peat heavy whiskies, only to be blended with other spirits giving them that smokey, earthy nuance.
Their 18 YO expression, and our subject of choice, was released back in 2018, and made its way down under the following year. There have been two overhauls at the distillery in the last decade, one in 2018 which saw the 18s foray into markets and the other last year, which pretty much closed its doors on its 10 year old expression. The spirit is matured in American ex-bourbon barrels and further finished in red wine Bordeaux casks. The aesthetics take traditional Jura contours, I personally was never a fan of its figure “8” bottling, but this is purely my subjective view.
ABV : 44%
Eye : Tawny |Artificial Colouring, Non Chill Filtered
Nose : Caramel with sweet grain like influences interleaved with earthy notes, reminding me of sun dried tomatoes, leather and pine wood. There’s a pinch of cardamom with a bit of richness coming in from dried fruits and raisin cake. Some zest emanating from blood oranges, and dark chocolate.
Taste : Caramel, with rum and raisin cake, earthy on the palate, woody yet musty. There’s char with a hint of nutmeg, some vanilla, plums, dried figs and maybe a whisper of cloves.
Finish : Medium to long | Sweet and spicy with dried fruits along with a mild char.
It’s rich with a near heavy palate, brought down by the weight of dried fruits and caramel; the velvety, yet bright mouth feel and the plethora of nuances on the nose adds a bit more flex. The spirit is complex with good breadth; but condensed, needing time to loosen up and really show itself off. You also get the traditional earthiness, a tad louder than the Highlands; coastal but not as smokey as the Islays. The added colouring is certainly an unwarranted distraction, taking credit away from what otherwise is a solid dram and surely not adding any brawn to the spirit.
At $AUD 150, this is value for money as you don’t get too many 18 YOs at this price point. This Jura is unsurprisingly satisfying, with a harmonising nose, and a pleasant mouth feel. There is however something amiss here, albeit by a bee’s bum, with the spirit’s true potential getting all the more evident once you let it acclimatize. Still a sturdy dram with a commendable score, but an inch away from being crowned a high flier!
Preference : This one is best neat or perhaps with a few drops of water!
Slainte Mhath!
