DigitalArc
Jura Prophecy
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed
October 1, 2020 (edited October 22, 2020)
It's hard to accept that this is a discontinued product. I was stunned when I found out. Because after about the third sip, I had made up my mind to pick up a bottle. I was zombiefied for a minute, like the crack smoker in the gag, the one that goes: "Why did the crack smoker stare at a carton of orange juice for 20 minutes?..." "Because the word 'Concentrate' was written on it." Onto the review!
Odors of peat and brine rise to greet the nose. The peat aroma is well integrated as the brine turns into oily sweetness on the palate. The sweetness segues into bourbon-cask notes, but is quickly overtaken by the peat smoke. Further tipples highlight a sweet citric note that leads to the finish. The finish is delectably spicy at 46% ABV, rather than ethanol-heavy or astringent.
The Jura Prophecy lands somewhere in the middle of two of its islander kindred -- the Ardbeg 10 (sans the brute heat) and the Ledaig 10 (sans the savory notes). Heartily recommended. If the reader here is intrigued and thinking about shelling out money for a bottle on secondary, let me just say I'd be an advocate of anything south of $70.
Thanks @jonwilkinson7309 for the well done dram. It's time to hunt for a bottle! Cheers!
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@Anthology Sadly, no. I'm clear on the other side of the country in NH. I do a lot of online ordering. We have a state liquor authority that does a decent job overall, but will never be a satisfactory one-stop-shop for an enthusiast.
@Anthology an excellent idea if only I weren’t 10 time zones ahead of you 😜
@jonwilkinson7309 Sounds like a great find! It gives me some hope for Jura now.
@cascode Thanks for the history lesson!
@jonwilkinson7309 I see the Remedy mention. Does this mean you are in SoCal? If so, I count 2 including @DigitalArc (and maybe the mysterious @CKarmios). Is it time to get a local lala group going? All these whisky collecting the proverbial dust is not gonna drink itself. Or maybe I’m just late to the game? Hmmm...
@Soba45 &@CKarmios It's a real pity. isn't it? There is so much obvious potential at this distilelry and they could contribute so much to the island economy, but they just can't seem to get it RIGHT. I don't think it helps that they were picked up almost as afterthought baggage by Emperador when they bought Whyte & Mackay. All the love and money goies to stablemate Dalmore, and Jura is left to languish. Stupidly short sighted.
Certainly a false prophet, after having been replaced by a lineup of Jura’s new taste profile direction. I’ve tasted Jura 10 and it was a forgettable experience.
Definitely the best of the range. I gave it a 4 also. Downhill from there!
Jura is not my favourite distilery by a long shot. They are very inconsistent and can never seem to settle on a house "style" - it's like every expression has been managed by a different team, from mashing right through to final vatting. This is one of their high points, however, and it's a pity the outturn was so limited. The only other use of Jura I've really liked in the last 10 years has been as a component in Rock Oyster (now called Rock Island) where its particular briny hard qualities work very well as a foundation to the lighter notes of Arran and Highland Park.
Interestingly, I picked this one up on a whim while placing an order from Remedy Liquors online. They had this bottle as a closeout for $39. An interesting dram, and my favorite Jura.