Jura rum, PX and clean


March 30, 2023

Jura rum, PX and clean

The indies used to have some fantastic older Juras until just one or two years ago, but it seems that those times too are gone. The owners too do not seem to have some great old juice these days, but we can always count on the Scots' sense of innovation and creativity. Like, doing a rum finish…

Willie Tait and Manager Mickey Heads in action at Jura, 2006 (WF Archive)

Jura 'Islander's Expression No.1 Barbados rum cask' (40%, OB, travel retail, 2022)

Isn't £72.00 very expensive, given this one's lack of age statement and the low strength? Plus, rum's a little cheaper than malt whisky, is it not? Colour: pale gold. Nose: hold on, we have a nice, fruitier nose here, the alliance of pears with bananas, plus molasses honey and custard. Some pleasant breadiness in the background, grist, weissbeer, leaven, with just hints of the trademark soot, walnuts and mustard. Well done as far as the nose is concerned. Mouth: indeed it doesn't seem that it's lost all of its Juraness, since some softer mustard and some bitter walnuts are still there, but indeed there is a little candy sugar, perhaps sugarcane juice, banana skins… But it's still very 'whisky', I'm not sure you could immediately detect the rum in there. Rather pleasant but lacking a little more oomph. Those 40% vol…. Finish: a little short, perhaps. And perhaps with more rumness. Some sawdust in the aftertaste. Comments: a relatively good surprise. Rummakers are using whisky casks whilst whiskymakers are using rum casks, all is well.
SGP:641 - 81 points.

Jura 'The Road' (43.6%, OB, Cask PX20, +/-2022)

Love that only road on Jura! But this is another PX finish, although they say it was 20 years old PX. Mentioning the age of the wine while keeping that of the whisky undisclosed is pretty smart, is it not. Low ABVs with decimals are always smart too. Colour: gold. Nose: very Jura on the nose, sootier than the 'rum', more mustardy, leafier, gently sour and fermentary, at times almost in the style of Fettercairn. Fudge and treacle toffee in the background, plus a little wood smoke. Nice nose! Mouth: really nice, really Jura, this time with more walnuts, leather, tobacco, marmalade, salty caramel, bitter beer, cinnamon mints… The extra-3.6% really help a far as the body's concerned. Finish: rather long, very typical, with a PX that keeps behaving. A little wood smoke, salt, lemon marmalade, tobacco and leather. Only the aftertaste is a little drying, ashy, with more sawdust. Comments: an even better surprise, as long as you're looking for some Jura character.
SGP:452 - 84 points.

Let's turn to the indies for a clean Jura that tells its age…

Jura 11 yo 2011/2022 (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, casks #451, 883, 884, first fill and refill bourbon barrels, 944 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: paraffin, lamp oil, mash, soot, ashes, grist, brioche dough, parsley and chives, spinach, pepper, then a little more fresh oak. Apart from notes of green bananas, we wouldn't quite find any fruitiness, but this is the profile we've been expecting, very 'close to the spirit'. Forgot to mention mustard. Mouth: pure sooty, sour, sharpish, peppery, leathery, salty Jura, very fermentary. Beers, dry white wine, lemons, yoghurt, artichokes, ashes… Whats not to like? Finish: more of all that. This one goes to show that the Distillery did not alter the make or try to make it easier and more consensual. At least not until 2011. Only the aftertaste is sweeter, on cassata, marmalade… Comments: I really like this 'Jura as in Jura' a lot. Thank you James Eadie, there aren't many around.
SGP:452 - 86 points.

Check the index of all Jura we've tasted so far