
September 1, 2016

Little duets, today old Jura 1986 vs. 1976

Jura can become extremely complex when growing older. Just like humble whisky tasters ;-) (nah yeah say what you want S., after all it’s your website)… By the way, we might need an official answer, is the name of the distillery ‘Jura’ or is it ‘Isle of Jura’? Never totally sure…

Jura 30 yo 1986/2016 (42.5%, Cadenhead, Single Cask)

Colour: straw. Always great news when old whiskies remain pale. Nose: oooh… Beeswax and leather polish plus ripe mirabelles and light honey (acacia, colza), with whiffs of warm candyfloss and precious wulong tea. Add a little vetiver, wormwood, and perhaps to rose petals. Sublimely refined and complex, but these kinds of noses and the very elegant lightness sometimes lead to flattish palates. Let’s see… Mouth: great, it’s not oaky. It’s rather got ‘whispers’ of many herbs, many green/yellow fruits, and many waxes and oils, some forgotten (so I can’t even tell you about them). Angelica, citrons, quince jelly, lemon curd, and then that Wulong tea… Actually, you do feel the oak but it just wouldn’t get in the way. In other words, some very polite wood. Love this very delicate style. Finish: not too long, granted, but it’s still fresh, and very much alive. More citrons and waxes, in a murmuring way. Comments: a delicacy that we might enjoy with food, as if it was an old chardonnay from near Beaune. SGP:541 - 90 points.

Jura 35 yo 1976/2012 (55.1%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask ref #BBR 889)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: feels first fill hogshead. Vanilla, cigarette tobacco, and a touch of grated coconut at first nosing, just before it literally explodes, with a curious but lovely combination of mint, raspberries, and turpentine. It’s true that fresh raspberries with fresh mint leaves is a delicacy… With water: superb, with a little old-style suntan lotion, some hay, some Virginia blond tobacco, and perhaps a little chamomile tea. Now a paraffiny side is taking over… Mouth (neat): hold on, indeed, there is a problem! A weird plastic-like soapiness, notes of UHU glue, and some kind of acetic, almost acetone-y cheesiness. That’s really weird indeed and very un-BB&R. With water: pwah! Pernod’s Edradour. Finish: quite long and that’s the problem, although a nicer lemony side arises. Comments: this is weird. The nose was fabulous, while the palate was totally insane. Perhaps a ‘technical’ problem with my sample – but it’s a very fresh one, filled only a few days ago with much care. SGP:481 - 65 points (for the record, possible accident).

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

August 2016

Favourite recent bottling:
Speyside Region 40 yo 1975/2016 (55%, The Whisky Agency, fino butt, 389 bottles) - WF 93

Favourite older bottling:
Longmorn 21 yo 1964 (86 US proof, Duthie for Corti Bros, Sacramento, USA) - WF 92

Favourite bang for your buck bottling:
Kilkerran 12 yo (46%, OB, 2016) - WF 90

Favourite malternative:
Vale Verde 12 yo ‘Edição Especial’ (40%, OB, cachaça, +/-2012) - WF 89