I am fairly confident that I’ve had other Jura Single Malts before, but it took a deep dive into the archives (going back to my blogging days) to confirm that if I had tasted any Jura before, I hadn’t put pen to paper on it. (Words to keyboard?) But when the Missus and the Eldest Spawn took a special trip across the Pond in August, they inquired as to what whiskey I might like as they had some time to kill in duty-free before boarding the plane back home and I found this Travel Exclusive that looked interesting.
Not just interesting: it’s striking. I mean, look at that picture! It catches the eye, it draws you in, it makes you wonder what exactly it’s all about. Islanders’ Expressions you say? Tell me more:
“…is a series of limited edition whiskies inspired by the creative individuals who live on Jura. This edition, the third in the series, celebrates Jura’s beloved resident photographer, Konrad Borkowski. Konrad’s distinctive, dynamic photography offers a glimpse into the magic of life on Jura. Artfully capturing the ever-changing light unique to our island home. This whiskey is an ode to Konrad’s eyes for the unexpected by way of a red wine cask finish, with a juice fruit character evocative of his powerful sunset landscapes.”
That was intriguing enough to make me want to find out what #2 (Giles Perring, one of Jura’s most talented musicians) and #1 were all about (Amy Dunnachie, a jeweler.) The cynical part of me might recognize that this is really good marketing— after all, when you’ve got a market full of Scotch whiskies, you’re going to need some way to stand out in the crowd. Doubly so, if you’re shoulder to shoulder with the exalted offerings of the Duty-Free shop at Heathrow. That being said, if it’s marketing, then they got me, hook line, and sinker. I think it’s a lovely way to celebrate the island that they call home.
Speaking of home: Orwell described Jura as ‘extremely unget-at-able’, per their Wikipedia page and given the description that follows about how one has to get there, I’d say that still holds true today. Like many distilleries, there are peaks and valleys to its history: founded in 1810 by the Laird of Jura, Archibald Campbell, it fell into disrepair but was restored in 1884. By 1900 it was gone again, but in the 1950s it was restored, and by 1963 it seemed to have solidified and has been in operation ever since.
(Looking at the chronology, there seem to be two solid periods: one from 1810-190, the second from 1960 to the present. The current owners are Whyte & MacKay a subsidiary of the Alliance Global Group, based out of Southeast Asia.)
Let’s do some tasting notes, shall we?
Nose: Enticing. I sat down outside to do my tasting and I could catch aromas from the whiskey which I had placed on the arm of my Adirondack chair. I don’t think I’ve ever had a whiskey tease me quite so much from the outset. There are warming spices present, though I was reminded more of ginger than cinnamon. Dark fruits/cherries were also present. The whole thing drifts toward Christmas pudding territory but I think came down firmly into mulled wine territory.
Color: It’s dark with almost a touch of red to it. Definitely the amber/dark honey end of the spectrum here.
Body: Well balanced, though it might lean more towards watery than syrupy. There’s a sweetness at the front of this, but I can’t quite catch what it is. Spices hit hard at the back.
Finish: Not quite sure how to characterize it— it sort of sneaks up on you a bit. There’s a nice kick on the way down, but the warming builds up nicely and radiates outwards until you realize that it was way more warming and pleasant than you initially thought it was. My Grade: 9/10 I can see why this is a Travel Exclusive and if you have the chance to grab a bottle of this, I highly recommend that you do so. Easily the most delicious, interesting whiskey that I’ve had in a very long time.