Jura 24 Years Old 1988 31.26 BBQ smoke by a rolling sea (53.6%, SMWS, Refill HH, 232 Bottles, 2013)

53.6% ABV, outturn 262 bottles, £75 for 70cl (Jura)

Score: 88/100

What they say:

Cask No. 31.26

Our noses picked up the sea in droplets of spray, mixed seafood barbeques and beach clean-up bonfires. We also found mineral notes (slate, plaster, Plasticine) butterscotch, aniseed, salted crisps and cooked buttery pastry. The palate had quite serious smoke plus sweet, woody and earthy elements but most comments were exploring the savoury flavours of smoked ribs, bacon rolls with brown sauce, barbecued scallops and marmite on toast. On the reduced nose, somewhere between a rock-pool and a swimming pool, we were aware of prawn tempura with wedges of lemon and charred gammon with pineapple – nice feast! From Jura’s only distillery.

Drinking tip: At a beach barbeque – O man! Roll on the Hebridean summer.

Date Distilled: 27 Sept 1988            
Colour: Brassy gold            
Age: 24 years            
Flavour : Lightly peated            
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead            
Whisky Region: Highland Island

What we say:

Dram #4 from the WOLS SMWS tasting, from the Isle of Jura distillery (SMWS distillery #31)

Colour:

Gold

Nose:

Nutty, sweet white chocolate [vanilla and coconut hints], slightly medicinal [phenolic]

Taste:

Heather honey, butterscotch and brazil and macadamia nuts, slight cayenne pepper spice with earthy undertones

Finish:

Like gentle wood smoke from a cooking fire

Overall:

Macadamia nuts enrobed in white chocolate – my favourite of the evening