Jura 21 Years

”Theme From The Deer Island”

Whisky Review # 941

Country: Scotland
Region: Islands - Jura

Brand: Jura

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 44%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon Casks and Ex-Sherry Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 120-150  (April 2022)

Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay for a 21 Year old Single Malt
Buying Advice: 😌 Finally a Jura I can recommend. A must if you like Jura!

Colour:

Dark Amber with notes of Orange and Brown (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

One of the things I often find when nosing Jura whisky are Cooked Vegetables and/ or Potatoes. They are here as well but rather as an afterthought. The Nose of the 21 years is not too bad although uneventful. The Sherry casks provide Dried Fruits and Nougat and some slightly Dirty, Earthy notes as well. The Nose is mostly Sweet with a few Sour notes for balance.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums and Apricots, slightly Sour Red Berries, Chocolate Milk, Nougat, Citrus Peel, Dusty Casks, Starch, Espresso, Salt and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, Dough, Puff Pastry filled with sugary chopped Dates, Dried Herbs, Red Apple, Nuts, Leather, Tobacco, Forest Floor, Wet Rocks, Oak Char, Mint, Cinnamon, Cloves and Licorice. Very distant hints of Cooked Vegetables & Varnish.

   

Palate:

Agreeable and predictable on the Palate. A mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. It's a little Thin. An ABV of 46-48% would have been more adequate. But it's certainly one of the better Jura's I've tasted so far. The Palate basically follows the Nose with Dried Fruit, Dark Chocolate, Spices and slightly Bitter Oak in the lead.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Plums, Dates and Apricots, Sour Berries like Raspberry and Gooseberry, Orange Peel, Dark Chocolate, Herbal Tea, Dusty Oak, Nougat, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Wax, Dough, Grass and Straw, Tobacco, Leather, Dirt Track, Wet Rocks and Sand, Floral Soap, Cloves, Aniseed, Mint, Cardamom & Peanuts.

Finish:

Middle-Long. A mixture of Sweet, Sour and Bitter notes. Quite Dry towards the end. The Bitter cask notes are a bit too present for my liking. I find Toasted Barley, Salty Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Bitter Oak, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums & Apricots, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder, Nougat, Honey, Nuts, Sour Apples, Grapefruit, Dusty Oak Casks, Dirty Track, Dried Herbs, Wet Rocks and Sand, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Mint and strong Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Jura.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Jura means Deer Island. The Distillery is located in the small village of Craighouse the island's "capital". Craighouse lies on the A 846, some eight miles from the Ferry Terminal to Islay. It was founded in 1810 and since 1993 it belongs to Whyte & Mackay Ltd. Jura is mostly known as a Single Malt but it's also a very important part of the Whyte & Mackay Special Blend. The Distillery possesses 1 Stainless Steel Semi Lauter Mash Tun, six stainless steel Wash Backs and two Pairs of Stills. In 2021 their total production amounted to around 2,4 million litres. The following Single Malts are part of the new core range introduced during 2018: Journey, Seven Wood, 10, 12, 18 and 21 Years (Tide).

Jura is not one of my favorite distilleries but this 21 Year old is certainly better than most expressions I had so far. It has no real off-notes although the Bitterness on the finish is a bit of a letdown. But other than that it's enjoyable though predictable. I wouldn't buy a full bottle but if you're a fan of this distillery you should certainly try the 21 Years if you can find it. When in doubt, buy a sample first! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            April 6, 2022

Pictures taken during our visit in May 2014