Malts of Scotland Isle of Jura Tasting Notes

Malts of Scotland Isle of Jura 1992 (20 year old) 50.3%

Bourbon Hogshead MoS12064/ Dist: Mar 1992 Btl: Nov 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2014

A nose of heavy toffee which is slight toasted. Although there are hints of dried barley, black pepper, cedar and cigar leaf the aromas seem to be a touch syrupy and it feels like it has spent too long in the cask.

The palate opens with the gentle barley and vanilla but the toffee comes in fast. Again, there are hints of pepper and cigar boxes and lightly decaying rose petals. Quite a tart finish with the pepper notes lingering. The spirit is rather tiered and creaking.

Lady of the Glen Isle of Jura Tasting Notes

Lady of the Glen Isle of Jura 1992 (28 year old) 41.2%

Bourbon Cask 1857/ Dist: 1992 Btl: 2020/ Tasted: Jul 2020

The nose is quite mature with aromas of old rose petals, barley, honey, straw and hints of oak and citrus. Although the spirit is cleaner than more modern Jura and one could say it is relatively pleasant but it’s not earth shattering.

The palate is rich and mature with honey and hints of apple, citrus and malt. Relatively straightforward with just a touch of oak. Good length with more of the oak coming through on the finish. Light straw-like after-taste. It’s been bottled in the nick of time but even though the cask was allegedly ‘a steal’, it’s probably not worth £170.

Lady of the Glen Isle of Jura 1991 (29 year old) 42%

Refill Bourbon Barrel 1834/ Dist: Apr 1991 Btl: Oct 2020/ Tasted: Nov 2020

The nose is very oily and strangely meaty/ beefy. In fact it reeks of pure lard! Weird! Hints of malt, barley and vanilla appear but I can’t get past the lard!

An odd, oily palate that feels that its close to death. Old rose petal marc and again that lardy/ beefy note. Some confected sugary fruit beneath. Short, oily, lardy and confected finish. Another one of those Jura casks that was bought for a song!

Highland Laird Jura Tasting Notes

Highland Laird Isle of Jura 1988 (22 year old) 52.4%

Bartles Rawlings International

Bourbon/ Dist: 1988 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: June 2016

Hard barley, white fruit and cider apple on the nose with hints of lime, greengage and a touch of oak. It develops hints of decomposing rose petals, pear, sweet vanilla, dusty oak, creosote and wet stones.

The palate displays more sweet barley and mature, dusty, sweet oak. Like the nose there is a faint cider apple character with barley husks and oxidised apricot. Edgy and hard with rather intrusive alcohol. Pleasantly spiced finish with a touch of walnut oil, earth and sweet, balsamic notes.

Edition Spirits Jura Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Isle of Jura 2006 (12 year old) 58.9%

Sherry Butt/ Code: EDI0372/ HL15182

Dist: Apr 2006 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

The nose is quite coffee’d and industrial with hints of rose petal marc and some almost manurey notes.

The palate is very much like the nose. Industrial and coffee’d with hints of malt, barley and earth. Very masked but a slightly spicy and reose petal finish.

Water emphasises the industrial character of the spirit, but it does bring out a touch of sugar coated tangerine and orange. The palate is softer as the sugar coated note is evident. Less industrial with hints of honey and pepper. The finish is still a little hot with lingering white fruit, rose petal and pepper.

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Jura 2007 (14 year old) 50.1%

Sherry Finish/ Code: EDI0683

Dist: Mar 2007 Btl: 2021?/ Tasted: June 2021

An aromatic nose of summer fruit and a good chunky of American oak. Very Bourbony in character with burnt corn, but not a great deal from the sherry cask. There’s also not much spirit character either!

The palate opens with the burnt toffee corn and Bourbony oak. A little industrial spirit comes through on the middle along with some very subtle sherried dried fruit.. Short, Bourbon burnt corn finish and a subtle spiced after-taste. Like the nose very oak dominated.

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Isle of Jura 1991 (24 year old) 50.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0113/ HL11791

Dist: 1994 Btl: Sept 2015/ Tasted: Oct 2015

Very mature and very honeyed aromas. Quite salty with some rye-like herbal notes. The expected cardboard note appears but the macerated satsuma and  tangerine just about divert the attention. Lightly earthy and pleasantly balanced.

The palate opens with the creamy oak and cardboard. Less honey and more oily barley seems to leave the cardboard notes a bit more exposed. Hints of herbal coffee appear and the finish shows sharp citrus, herbal marc and bitter spice.

Edition Spirits ‘The First Edition’ Isle of Jura 1992 (25 year old) 48.6%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0359/ HL12459

Dist: Feb 1992 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jun 2018

Gorgeously honeyed aromas with lemon, pear, apricot, white grape, melon and dusty oak. Lithe and fruity with an almost tropical edge. With time hints of lime, butter, vanilla, barley and salt.

The palate is fresh and juicy with apricot, melon, lime, pear and apple. Subtly oaked but the sawdust notes mingle with the dusty barley on the middle. A touch of bittering wood spice offsets the fruitiness. Long, with a touch more vanilla oak notes and lingering dense fruit, coffee’d spice and barley. Now, that’s impressive and probably quite expensive!

Carn Mor Jura Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Jura 2000 (14 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Dist: 2000 Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: May 2015

Initially the aromas are slightly balsamic and malty with developing fragrant barley, sweet apricot, citrus and aromatic, creamy/ buttery oak. With time a light nettly/ herbaceous note appears.

The palate opens with plenty of barley and hints of honey; malt, sweet, fleshy apricot and vanilla. It darkens on the middle as the malt asserts itself along with some light treacle toffee. Good intensity and cleanliness. A crisp, herbal finish with a light boiled sweet note in the after-taste. The alcohol is surprisingly intrusive but it does balance the sweetness.

 

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Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Jura 2000 (16 year old) 55.3%

Bourbon Cask 2285/ Dist: 2000 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: May 2016

The nose is quite fresh and citric with apricot, sweet orange, dusty, sweet barley and violets. The oak adds a touch of toffee and creamy vanilla and show a maturity beyond its years! Wonderfully balanced and deep.

The palate is lightly oiled with barley and dusty/ spicy oak. Wonderfully deep with layers of almost tropical melon, apricot and citrus. Hints of mocha appear on the middle and the finish is very long with lingering dusty oak, orange, rose petals, smoke and spice. A seriously fabulous finish and proof that Jura can make good whisky!

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Isle of Jura Tasting Notes

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 31.26 1988 (24 year old) ‘BBQ smoke by a rolling sea’ 53.6%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: Sept 1988 Btl; 2013/ Tasted: 2013

The nose is dusty and meaty with malt and herbal, marc-like notes. Very herbal now with hints of charred coffee’d oak. It feels a bit too old and tired but there’s some pleasant sweet peat, tar and decaying heather moments. Water does the nose no favours as it becomes sugar coated oily cardboard.

The palate is quite earthy and lightly industrial with hints of wet cardboard, peat, coffee and herbal marc. Water makes the palate a touch cleaner but it’s still cardboardy! Good length with liquorice and sweet malt attempting to hide the cardboard-peat. Water makes it quite spicy. In conclusion: The nose seems somewhat disconnected, but the palate is a little better. The finish is the best thing about it!

Single Malts Direct Isle of Jura Tasting Notes

Single Malts Direct ‘Whiskies of Scotland’ Isle of Jura 1998 (14 year old) 53.8%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1998 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: July 2012

The nose opens with plenty of earthy, straw-like fruit. Wonderfully fragrant with hints of Assam tea, wood, balsamic vinegar and malt. With time some dusty spices and a suggestion of peat appears. With water the aromas are less complex and it seems very old.

Soft and supple on the palate with macerated fruit, old wood, straw and intense, biting alcohol. With water the palate is gentler, fuller and slightly creamy; the reduction in alcohol has allowed the straw-like yellow fruits to make an appearance. Lovely maturity with hints of mature honeycomb and wood polish. Short and alcoholic, although there is a pleasant citrus and maple syrup note in the after-taste.

With water it lengthens and brings out a touch of salinity. Conclusion: A relatively pleasant, mature malt. It tastes rather like an old Lowland with a slight coastal nuance.

Single Malts Direct ‘Whiskies of Scotland’ Isle of Jura 1993 (20 year old?) 49.3%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1993 Btl: 2013(?)/ Tasted: 2013

A beautiful nose of succulent barley, honey, orange, tangerine and a touch of white fruit. Gently perfumed with hints of sawdusty oak. Poised, elegant and gently maritime in character.

The palate is full, opening with a lovely barley sheen and some encroaching coffee’d tannins but the weight of juicy, sub-tropical apricot and orange fruit balances superbly. Finally some mature American oak puts in an appearance. A lovely length with the apricot and barley lingering along with the gentle, if a little grainy oak note, which adds a little bitterness. In conclusion: A lovely, mature but vibrant Islander (possibly Arran?) [tasted blind]

Hunter Laing Jura Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 2006 (12 year old) 50%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OMC2790/ HL15181

Dist: Apr 2006 Btl: May 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

Aromas of slightly hard barley, toffee and rose petal marc. Not a huge amount of sherry character here but late hints of granulated sugar, apricot and apple.

The palate display both sweet and hard barley, granulated sugar, apricot, apple and hints of coffee and bitter oak. Short, hot, rose petal marc finish.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 1992 (21 year old) 48%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2269/ HL9806

Dist: Mar 1992 Btl: May 2013/ Tasted: June 2013

The nose opens with monumental slabs of mature, toffee’d American oak along with a light grainy spiciness and a serious density of fruit – rhubarb, apple, greengage and gooseberry. A touch of chocolate malt comes through but the freshness is simply stunning. The oak begins to take on a sawdusty note with time. Proof that Isle of Jura did produce some exceptional good spirit and used some good wood once!

A lovely, fresh palate with the mature, toffee’d oak showing first followed by waves of green fruit – apple, greengage, under ripe pineapple and banana. Beautifully mature with a dense malty core and a touch of almost grainy, herbal spice. Very long with the gentle honey and oak vanillins returning. Lightly bitter in the finish but it’s more of a fruit skin bitterness than an oak bitterness. Superb!

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 1992 (21 year old) 45.8%

Bourbon/ Code: OMC2410/ HL10817

Dist: Oct 1992 Btl: Aug 2014/ Tasted: Sept 2014

A pleasantly citric nose with barley, caramel and a touch of malt. The aromas become quite oaky with time and there’s a faint salinity as well.

The palate opens with grippy oak, light toffee, honey and orange. Quite creamy and again rather heavy on the oak. Good, fresh grassy middle with a touch of herbs but the oak returns fairly quickly and the finish is a little hot.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 1991 (24 year old) 46.8%

Bourbon/ Code: OMC2474/ HL11383

Dist: Feb 1991 Btl: Mar 2015/ Tasted: May 2015

A herbal, pulped Tequila-esque peppery fruit nose with hints of boiled sweets and high toned, triple distilled notes. With time some toffee/ caramel, mature honey and barley appears along with some sawdusty oak, lime and straw.

The palate is a little musty with toffee, caramel and burnt herbs. Again it displays a lightly high toned, triple distilled, boiled sweet note with hints of berry fruit, straw and honey. Intense and a little hot on the finish with lingering light pepper and herbal spirit notes.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 1992 (24 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2550/ HL12288

Dist: Feb 1992 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

A delightfully mature nose of dusty American oak, barley and citrus. Lightly earthy with the citrus developing and freshening.

The palate is toffee’d and fudgy with a good maltiness. Lightly treacly on the middle with hints of pepper. Lovely, mouth-watering citrus finale with a touch of drying oak but plenty of peppery spices and subtle salty after-taste.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Isle of Jura 1991 (25 year old) 45.1%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2636/ HL13274

Dist: Feb 1991 Btl: Feb 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A malty and cereally nose. Slightly balsamic with a few unclean notes. A touch of mature oak attempts to enliven but in all honesty it’s a bit rough.

The palate is oily, earthy and a little feinty with a touch of wet cardboard, coffee and underlying mature oak. Hot finish with hints of herbal barley and undergrowth notes. I think this has been left for too long in the cask, not that I imagine it was great spirit to begin with.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Isle of Jura 2006 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: HEP0019/ Dist: Apr 2006 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: May 2014

Pleasantly gristy and honeyed on the nose. A little grassy with hints of toffee and youthful, perfumed rose petal marc and straw.

The palate is soft, lightly honeyed and toffee’d. Simple but mouth-filling with the toffee becoming quite oily. A fresh, citrus middle leads into a light rose petal and peppery spice finish. For a young Isle of Jura it’s actually rather pleasant.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Isle of Jura 2008 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: HEP0253/ Dist: Jul 2008 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

An edgy, salty nose of summer barley, toffee’d oak and hints of boiled sweets. Fills out well.

The palate is approachable and barley’d with hints of salt and, toffee’d oak. A little watery on the middle with a slightly sharp under ripe/ green fruit finish with a touch of herbal spice.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Isle of Jura 2007 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: HEP0295/ Dist: Mar 2007 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017

The nose is very dirty, cardboardy and acerbic. Maybe there’s some barley beneath but it’s hard to tell!

The palate isn’t quite as dirty, although it is still feinty and cardboardy. Hints of barley and oak come through but there’s nowhere near enough sweetness to balance. Short and slightly herbal finish.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Isle of Jura 2008 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: HEP0339/ Dist: Feb 2008 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Sept 2018

The nose is feinty, vinegary and acetic with hard barley, greengage and no real oak.

The palate displays slightly sweeter barley but it’s still rough, industrial and cardboard. Hints of toffee and a short, hot, citric and feinty finish.

Berry Brothers Jura Tasting Notes

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Isle of Jura 1976 (36 year old) 53.5%

Sherry Cask BBR888/ Dist: 1976 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012

A mature nose of leafy oloroso’d dried fruit – prune and  raisin with a slight medicinal note, a touch of smoke and camphor. Lovely complexity with a touch of burnt wood, leather, ground coffee and demerara sugar. The aromas become ever so slightly soapy with time.

The palate is lightly tannic but displays a lovely toasted honey sweetness. Rum and raisin spiced fruitcake on the middle with some leafy maturity. The alcohol gives it a pleasant lift and it finishes with a crisp, mouth-watering finale showing a touch of smoke and salinity.

With water the nose becomes oilier with hints of linseed. Pleasantly rounded and mellow with a touch of barley and vanilla now. The palate is a tad homogenous but is pleasantly mouth-filling with a late smoked meat and burnt wood note.

Ian Macleod & Co Ltd Isle of Jura Tasting Notes

Ian Macleod & Co Ltd ‘Chieftains Choice’ Isle of Jura 1996 (10 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: Nov 1996 Btl: Oct 2007/ Tasted: July 2012

Very powerful and pungent aromas of cereal marc. Quite alcoholic for 46% with a semblance of apricot fruit. With time it becomes quite oily with a slight fishiness and cream custard oak. Water just shows up its immaturity but does make it a bit fishier.

The palate is like the nose it has plenty of youthful cereal along with a slight greenness to the barley and hints of boiled barley sugar sweets. Pleasantly full with the creamy oak adding a bit of body. Water makes the palate oak dominated – toffee and caramel. Reasonable length but all barley and alcohol. Diluted it finishes with some crunchy sugar coated vanillins and light honeycomb In conclusion: A bit immature. It seems not to have developed much character yet, or maybe it never will due to the first fill American oak?

Ian Macleod & Co Ltd ‘Chieftains Choice’ Isle of Jura 1996 (14 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Dist: Nov 1996 Btl: Feb 2011/ Tasted: July 2012

The nose is rather mature and earthy with old fruit and cereal. Hints of light pea, straw and oak. With time there is a slight perfumed note but it’s all a bit tired.

The palate is a bit sugary, but there is more fruit than the nose suggests. Still old with cereal husks, straw and earth. Good length with a mouth-wateringly spicy finish and a slight pepper note. Conclusion: Possibly a bit long in the tooth. Lacking fruit to offset the alcohol but a pleasant spicy finish.