Jura 18 Year

I’m a big fan of the Jura Prophecy and the Superstition. The only problem with that is that they aren’t in circulation anymore, meaning that while I have a positive opinion of the distillery, I have nothing to say for its current state. I’ve been warned by some of the members here on this forum, but as always I will do my best to be impartial. Nose: Honey and toffee. Grilled pineapple. Dried apricot and cranberry. Honeydew and white grape. Nougat, milk chocolate, and caramel. An interesting blend of coastal, salty smoke and earthy, rubbery peat. Sun-dried tomato. Croissant. Orange citrus. Blackberry. Old newspaper and hearty oak. Strange mix of a notes but not without merit. Palate: More of the toffee and honey. The pineapple, white grape, orange citrus and dried apricot and cranberry persist. Blackberry and now raspberry. Sun-dried tomato as well. Caramel and nougat. Maple syrup. Croissant. As I’m writing this I realize it’s pretty much identical to the nose. I detected some plum, which led me to discover that this was finish in Grand Cru red wine casks after 18 years in ex-bourbon. That’s a first. The peat and smoke are light, and it’s more of the earth and rubber than the coastal notes from the nose. Finish: Drying finish. Raspberry. Bitter dark chocolate. Cocoa. Caramel, toffee, and coffee. Menthol. Sun-dried tomato. Prickly cinnamon and black pepper. Oak. Moderate length. Without a doubt, one of the strangest whiskies I have ever had. It’s definitely a good one, and I’m glad I grabbed it. I’ve been reviewing quite a few whiskies lately, and I can say without reservation that this put a hitch in my giddy-up. It’s as unique a whisky as I’ve had. An eclectic bowl of fruit with some other sweet notes and a backdrop of the peated profile that would normally be put forward in comparable whiskies. It’s a complete mess at times, but it stokes the imagination while remaining a pleasant sipper. And while I grapple with how to score the content of the bottle, I must also consider the price. And at $130, this is a steep price for such an experimental whisky. It’s funky, unique, but falls a tad short of what I’d expect of an 18-year old malt of this price. Yet, it’s a respectable effort from Jura, yet again. 3.5/5.

Dark fruits on the nose, the palate was too quick to identify but a spicy finish.

Vanilla, malt, wood, chocolate. Would pair well with a cigar

Nose: light smoke, roasted marshmallows and s’mores. A sharpness that reminds me of lemon Palate: I stand by s’mores but with marshmallows that have been set on fire rather than roasted to get that burned sharpeness