The temptation is great seeing an 18 Year single malt scotch for $99.99, and I missed my chance initially. They had a bunch of these available in the online only section of our local stores and sold out. Then, a few months later, it was back, briefly, as “limited availability” which means less than 10 bottles. Had to pull the trigger at that point. Who knows but next time I see this it’ll be $130 or $140. Prices don’t go down, do they? Anyway, Jura. All I really know of Jura is the 10 year, which to me is one of the great bargains in single malt scotch. It won’t rock your world, but for about $40 you get an age statement scotch, which while it is, indeed still only 80 proof, tastes of honey, vanilla, and pears. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in drinkability. As for the 18, that was what I was expecting: not that it would rock my world necessarily on the scale of complexity, but that it would taste pretty damn good. The nose is distinctive for how darkly fruity it is: this is plums and black cherries with maybe a hit of black licorice riding its tail. There’s a tartness here that’s just next door to funky as though the fruit is overripe in a luscious way, just next door to going bad but hasn’t crossed the line quite yet. It’s the kind of fruit aroma which, coming from an orchard, causes wasps and big old fat bees to hover over the dark skin that’s almost falling off the fruit, sucking up the juices. On the palate, it’s got an oily viscousness that, along with the dark fruits, has this almost hoagie oil type of flavoring, there’s something about the back end, as it moves into the finish that reminds me of when you get a bit of orange peel in a sip of sangria but overall it comes off quite smooth, with a bit of peppery tartness that isn’t overly long, but allows the fruit flavors to linger on the tongue with just the right touch. Overall, this is solid and a pretty good bargain. I haven’t had many 18 Year Single Malts because they don’t sell smaller bottle samples anywhere around me, and most of them are beyond my reach in terms of pricing unless its bonus time, and oftentimes, I prefer to get 2-3 bottles between $70-100 rather than say, one bottle for $160. I’m tempted to pull the trigger on Highland Park 18 and there’s an Aberfeldy 18 finished in Cabernet Casks for $119 that looks to me like quite a bargain that I might pull the trigger on next month. But as my entry point into 18 Year Single Malts, this one serves its purpose and I expect to enjoy this bottle straight through. But of course, when people say there are peaty flavors here and smoke, I don’t know what they’re talking about. There’s no peat to be had here. And no smoke to speak of. Doesn’t detract from the bottle, but fair warning. Don’t go in thinking you’re getting Talisker.