Jura 30 Years Old 1986 Single Cask

By Barry Bradford on February 14, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

Jura 30 Years Old 1986 Single Cask (42.5%, WM Cadenhead, Bourbon Barrel, 66 Bottles, 2016)

Category: Island single malt scotch whisky
Origin: Isle of Jura Distillery
Bottling: Cadenhead’s
ABV: 42.5%
Cost: £140.65

What they say

Distilled at the Isle of Jura distillery in 1986 and matured for over 30 years in a single (ex-Bourbon) cask before bottling in 2016 producing 66 bottles at 42.5% ABV.

What I say

Yum, a 30 year old Jura and right about the time I was forgoing sherry and peat monsters as I had found my ex-bourbon groove. I’m told everyone eventually reaches a point where only ex-bourbon whiskies really make you sit up and admit you have stumbled upon something really special.

Overlooked, routine and almost a bit boring and vanilla – with age Bourbon maturation occasionally (or eventually) hits a rather huge sweet spot and becomes sublime. As a Jura fan, the statement Jura and 30 were enough on this bottle, the fact it is a single cask bottling from Cadenhead’s just convinced me that it was going to exude quality.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: Dark amber, caramel gold (11/20), medium tears and legs, sparse
Nose: Creamy, sweet and spiced, red berries, summer fruits, spiced nutmeg, toffee/caramels/butterscotch, cream, malted barley, a touch of peat smoke, gristy, oat biscuits, honey, hob nobs, instant/cool whip
Taste: As the nose, sweet and creamy, whipped vanilla/Chantilly cream, light caramel sauce, crème brulee, butterscotch angel delight, a lot of orange peel/oil, malty, toffee, creamy coffee or coffee with evaporated milk or powdered milk (over creamy), almond milk
Finish: Medium, toffee, honey, some spice, drying. nutmeg

Overall:

Liquid Chantilly cream on red berries and oodles of Jura’s fabulous butterscotch, refined, beautifully deep with that luxurious creamy taste and texture, not much more required.