I don’t think i will be doing the distillery a dis service by saying Jura is one of those distilleries that has a love / hate relationship with whisky drinkers..
The core range especially has people split on opinions and it is rare to hear anything other than it is good or it is bad and depending on which side of the fence you sit on will depend on just how likely you are to venture into the world of single cask releases from the distillery..
I have to be honest and say some of the older expressions ( not older as in age but rather older releases ) from the core range never impressed me quite as much as i would have hoped.
In fact id go as far as saying i was put off for quite some time but with a re brand and a new core range offered some years back i was slowly pulled back in. The core range did not initially change my mind but over time i have mellowed and found myself going back and trying more and more from the distillery, which in turn has found me finding some expressions that intrigue and delight the senses..
Todays review is from an indie release and hails out of the Signatory stable. These cask strength, single cask releases offer what for me is a far better representation of the whisky produced by the distillery and allows you to explore the distillery profile and journey far more in depth than the core range allows.
It also interesting when you offer up a sample of these single cask releases to someone adamantly against the profile from the core range they usually like the liquid and are more than happy to explore more..
Cask 2495 – 29 Year Old Jura
Distillery.. Jura
Region.. Islands
Age.. 29 Years
Distilled.. May 1992
Bottled.. May 2021
Abv.. 52.2%
Cask.. Ex Bourbon
Outturn.. 123 Bottles
Bottler.. Signatory
Nose.. Apples stewing on the stove and fresh pastry being rolled on an old oak table damp from the fruits that sat there previously. Cinnamon sticks, ginger root and vanilla essence aromas rise from the chopping board while a gentle coffee aroma rises from the large pot slowly brewing. Cooling tarts on the windowsill mingle with the fresh scents finding their way through the open window.
Palate.. Oak forward with spices and earthy notes. There is a nice bite to this before some sweetness slowly makes its way to the palate with vanilla, pineapple upside down cake and toffee sauce riding on the back of ginger biscuits, cinnamon buns and Manuka honey. Fruits are evident but far more subdued than the nose suggested they would be.
Finish.. Oak lingers with gentle sweetness
Thoughts.. This older Jura tells a very interesting story and shows how interesting Jura can actually be.. Be aware though that these older expressions can spoil your opinion of jura and are very different to the core range that are available in most outlets.
ocdwhisky.com 