Today Isle of Jura


August 13, 2021

	Summer Duets Today Isle of Jura
	Just like you and me, Jura a.k.a. Isle of Jura deserve more love if you ask me. There was that stunning official limited 21 yo earlier this year, and indeed a few excellent indies, even if some of them have been losing me a wee bit here and there. Let's try more of them then…

Isle of Jura 12 yo 2009/2021 (52.9%, Liquid Treasures, hogshead, 134 bottles)

Lovely label that reminds me of… not kilts, quilts! Is there a hidden message (that we don't get)? Colour: white wine. Nose: in my meagre experience, it could happen that Jura would tend to gear towards Springbank, which is rather the case here, with this sooty, gristy, slightly waxy and yeasty breadiness. Quite some grass too, which would make you think of overburnt mezcal, other wie a leathery mustard that's pretty Jura too. Very intriguing. With water: LOL, and I mean LOL, it would get way easier and rounder, with vanilla coming out, tarte tatin, pear cider, and a tiny gentiany touch that always works wonders in my book. Mouth (neat): whacky, with notes of glue and mustard, leather and tobacco, pepper and chilli (sriracha), well I'm sure you could pour this over pizza. Some tight and tart limes and lemons in the background. With water: once again it would get a little softer, but it's got more metallic and dry Madeira-like notes that remind us of the older flat 'squeezed' bottles. Remember? Very dry. Finish: long, dry and sooty. Roots. Very Jura. Comments: a little Sartrian. Ha, existentialist whisky… here's Camus when you need him? (not talking about the Cognac house mind you).
SGP:362 - 86 points.

Isle of Jura 29 yo 1992/2021 (47.3%, Maltbarn, bourbon)

Colour: light gold. Nose: more oak, wood, pinewood, moss, 'a walk under the fir trees', a tiny touch of soap (not unseen in Jura), some patchouli and pot-pourri, crème au beurre, even buckwheat crêpes, teak oil… A feeling of piney, oriental oils. 'Old Buddhist temple in China'. Mouth: very tight, with some concentrated lemon juice, pine liqueur, prickly pear juice, green peppercorns, thyme and sage… This you will find nowhere else than in Jura. Finish: medium, spicier yet, a little salty. Mint cordial and mustard, more dry madeira, extreme fino… Comments: another fighter for the island of deer. Not that many have been tamed – both whiskies and deer.
SGP:452 – 87 points.

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