It’s been almost three years since I reviewed something from Isle of Jura Distillery, and I’ve only posted blog posts about two expressions in total. The distillery admittedly is not held in very high regard, yet two blogs in almost five years time is pretty low. Some might say too many still, but I think it is time to revisit this distillery.
Lucky me, I was sent a sample of Douglas Laing’s second addition to their Coastal Collection. The first one was a Bunnahabhain, and now they’ve moved on to Jura. From a re-fill sherry butt no less. The colour of this whisky is surprisingly light though, so don’t expect a sherry bomb.
Jura 12 Years Old Coastal Collection (48%, Douglas Laing’s Provenance, C# 12576)
Nose: Plenty of vanilla and cookie dough, as well as some honey and a graininess. Soft whispers of barley, accompanied by a certain yeastiness, as well as dried grass, straw, hay, etc. There’s a touch of underripe banana peel there, followed by some sea air. Well-rounded stuff.
Taste: Quite sweet, with a good amount of peach and nectarine, but also a proper serving of brown sugar, and even some molasses. It has this greener, coastal side to balance things though. Also, a hint of cracked black pepper and cloves, giving it some more body.
Finish: Lingering spices, some oak. Medium in length.
Score: 86
Jura has such an iffy reputation, that I’m almost surprised I like this as much as I do. The balance between distillate and cask is top-notch here. The island itself is seriously beautiful, one of my favourite spots in Scotland. I should pay a little more attention to the whisky produced there.
Sample provided by Douglas Laing
