Jura 1989 26 Year Cask Strength Collection (Signatory)

Nose: Woodsmoke drifting over a faintly vanilla floral background. A little brine and citrus, and an intrusive note like old wet cloth. Palate: Very rich and sweet entry, gaining fruity notes in the development and turning salty. Thick and oily texture reminiscent of lecithin or white chocolate. Water brings out a great deal more depth and reveals some gentle spice and pepper notes along with a slightly sour smoke. Finish: Long. Salty and slightly smoky with a general warming character and a little aniseed at the end. This is part of Signatory’s “Cask Strength” range and is a blending of two bourbon barrels of Jura laid down in 1989 and bottled in 2016, as a run of 243 bottles. Although the label describes it as “heavily peated” it’s not surprising that after 26 years in the cask this whisky has mellowed considerably, resulting in a soft and subtle smokiness that is a sooty memory of its heavily peated birth. This has lifted what once must have been a thick blanket of smoke to reveal complexity and a subtle fruity character, but it has also revealed a couple of unfortunate notes. Wet newspapers and rotting bung-cloth waft around the nose, and the palate has a slightly unwelcome oily/salt tang like rancid olive oil. Although the faults are not major (the whisky is still a complex and enjoyable dram with an unmistakably “mature” profile) for me they prevent it from achieving 4 star status, and at the asking price that makes it non-recommended. Tasted at The Oak Barrel 22 May 2017 “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)