Two little Jura


June 10, 2024

Feis Ile Special (sequel sessions)

Two little Jura

The 'artmospheric' back entrance of the Jura Hotel in the early 2000s,
a place out of time. I believe everything has been
repainted white since then (WF Archive).

We almost forgot Jura during our little tour of Islay! Yet everyone knows that the Isle of Jura Distillery is part of Islay... at least during the time of Feis Ile. Oh well, I have a feeling I should watch my back the next time I go to the island to taste the whisky, say hello to the deer, and see if the palm trees have grown.

Jura 13 yo (54%, Brave New Spirits, The Whisky Heroes, Sanctum of the Deer, Kirsch Import Germany, 1st fill oloroso sherry barrique, 277 bottles, 2024)

Wasn't it dear Richard Patterson on the label? Or was it sweet Willie Tait? The combination of Jura and a robust sherry has certainly sparked quite a bit of excitement in the past, so we're intrigued... Colour: gold. Nose: bingo, there's engine oil, spent matches, mustard, tobacco, leather, shoe polish, seawater, but also walnut cake. Additionally, there are hints of slag and something basaltic. I don't believe the Paps of Jura were ever volcanoes, were they? With water: that slightly symbiotic peaty side that is sometimes found in Jura. Incidentally, peated Juras could be superb, but I feel like we don't see them much anymore. Mouth (neat): very rich and spicy, very much in the Jura + dry sherry vein. The flavours closely mirror the nose's aromas, with salt and mustard, strands of tobacco that have surreptitiously found their way into your mouth, always that leathery note, green walnuts, black pepper, cloves… With water: lovely chocolatey and slightly acidic bitters. Very 'oloroso'. Finish: long, very dry, still on walnuts and tobacco. Comments: have you ever tasted a good tobacco ice cream? In any case, a very beautiful and extreme Jura, for aficionados of the genre.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

And now, a Jura that should be the exact opposite, at least in theory.

Isle of Jura 31 yo 1992/2023 (50%, Maltbarn, The 26, bourbon cask)

Beautiful wee butterfly, since the earlier days of Moon Import many have drawn inspiration from these early, highly 'encyclopaedic' labels. Now that AI is hitting hard everywhere, they will only gain more emotional value even when they only stem from old books. At least, I hope so. Colour: vin blanc. Nose: here come the oils, sunflower, peanuts, but also new engine oil and lanolin, followed by tart apples, plums, citrus liqueurs, little herbs, and a pack of bidis… With water: and here we find our friends limoncello and verbena liqueur. Perhaps even a touch of genepy. Mouth: the peppery and mustardy DNA is evident, along with lemon, white pepper, and saline notes. Despite its age, it remains a firm and resolute Jura (what?). With water: return of leather, mustard, seawater, tobacco, spices, all counterbalanced by rather splendid citrus fruits. Finish: long and increasingly 'Jura'. There's a little fino character, in fact. Some salty ashes right at the end. Comments: very beautiful and, above all, still very idiosyncratic despite its age. A case where, as with humans, character asserts itself with age, but without the flaws in the case of this malt, phew.
SGP:562 - 89 points.

As George Orwell would have said, 'All whiskies are equal, but some are more equal than others'. That said, Orwell did not write Animal Farm on Jura as this pamphlet was written during the Second World War, while the writer only moved to the island for the first time either in 1946 or in 1947 (depending on the sources, all extremely well informed, naturally).

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