June 24, 2015

Three young Jura

Young Juras are usually characterful, even if sometimes a little unlikely. You say feinty?

Jura 10 yo 'Origin' (40%, OB, +/-2015)

It seems that it’s been four or five years since I last tried Jura 10. Colour: gold. Nose: starts rather leafy and leathery, as I remembered, with even a touch of cork that does not come from the cork. There’s also some grass smoke – a little – and notes of bitter oranges, malt as well as, maybe, a wee touch of soft mustard. Orange-and-walnuts-flavoured mustard. Mouth: walnuts and tobacco, with a small cardboardy side, a rather oily mouth feel, probably a little salt, and then something slightly bitter – or say inky. It’s a different whisky, that’s got something to say. Not ‘immediately sexy’, though. Finish: rather long, but the walnuts grew bigger (what?) and made it bitterer and rather drying. Comments: I like the character in this, and the, well, unsexiness. Not a compromising malt, but I think it would need more power. Like, 46% vol. SGP:462 - 82 points.

Jura 'Superstition' (43%, OB, +/-2015)

This is the lightly peated version, not tasted since… what, 2009? I remember that at the time, there were quite a few super-young ultra-peated Jura single casks around, some stellar. Colour: dark ‘orange’ gold. Orange hues usually suggests caramel, in my experience. Nose: actually, the smokiness further stresses the walnut/salt/leather profile, and adds whiffs of exhaust fumes and carbon paper. It’s a dry style, and we’re pretty far from the initial porridge that we used to find in these versions. Nice touches of amontillado – so yeah, more walnuts. Mouth: rich, dry, smoky indeed. Always walnuts and leather, always bitter oranges, always ink and cardboard, and always a touch of salt. Quite curiously, I also find hints of Jamaican rum – which goes well with the palm trees in front of the distillery ;-). Never found the pool they put the dunder in, having said that. Finish: quite long, with a little brown sugar (indeed) and this light smokiness getting more mineral. Bitterer aftertaste (walnut wine). Comments: I think they’ve improved this one. SGP:464 - 82 points.

Oh no, I was dead sure I still had an old official 8 years old but I just do not manage to find it. Bah, another 8 at low strength might do…

Jura 8 yo 2006/2014 (41.4%, Douglas Laing, Single Minded)

From DL’s newish budget line – although I’m sure those very good people wouldn’t agree with that denomination. Colour: very pale white wine. Should be spirit-driven ;-). Nose: all the traits we found in both officials are there, only even more obvious and untamed by wood. Acrid walnuts, clay, leaves, brine, a little diesel oil, ink, carbon paper, shoe polish… This is one big baby, certainly wilder and more ‘old islands’ than both the officials and the older independent versions. Interesting! Mouth: we’ve never been this close to white tequila (rather then Jamaican rum). I have to say I’ve never spotted the agaves on Jura either. Salty, smoky, briny, leafy… Almost a big fat Gruinart oyster sprinkled with the neighbouring Caol Ila, drops of Tabasco, and drops of lemon juice. Fun juice. Finish: long, very grassy, tequila-ish. For shots? (not foreshots, mind you – hold on…) Comments: let’s not rack our brains over these rather characterful babies. So, same score. SGP:363 - 82 points.

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