Jura 18 Year

The island of Jura may only have one pub and one road, but it also has one distillery. Founded in 1810, Jura has held on amidst the tides of time to survive into the present, indelibly stamped on the island landscape and community. While the island is difficult to reach even today, the distillery continues to take the waters from Market Loch and feed it into some of the tallest stills in Scotland. The height and width enable greater contact with copper during distillation. The core range relaunched in 2018 and now composes a 12, 14 and this 18 year scotch. The Jura 18 is matured in American ex-bourbon casks before being finished in Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux red wine barriques from Southern France.

Distillery: Jura
Region: Islands
Age: 18 years
Strength: 44%
Price: $109.99
Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-red wine casks
Location: Craighouse
Nose: Plum, fig, peat, peach, chocolate, caramel
Palate: Caramel, vanilla, peat, peach
Finish: Smoke, vanilla, cocoa

Comments: Check out what we thought of the Jura 12.

Adam – The Jura 18 is so evocative of a place for me, even if I haven’t been there yet. An exquisite blend of smoky and sweet on the nose, gently intertwined and comfortable. There’s a little fruit mixed in there that comes to the fore after the whisky has been in your glass for a while. The stone fruit from the nose is also there on the palate and lingers into the finish, where the sweetness pushes the smoke out of the way. This is a well crafted, balanced scotch that doesn’t shout because it doesn’t need to. I am surprised at the alcohol zing, more than I would expect from something this old or this proofage. It’s not unpleasant but it is noticeable. Still, a minor quibble for an otherwise delightful dram, made even better by it’s relative affordable cost for what you get. I have happily given this as a gift for a special occasion. 

Henry – A rich nose of stonefruit compote, fig, and red berries over a honeyed sweetness with a perfect peat profile. The fore palate zings with candied citrus and big peat and then backs off startlingly, leaving a sweet, elegantly smoky, and satisfying finish which lingers subtly. A thoughtfully-crafted and sophisticated dram.

Ben – There’s a fermented fruit on the nose, like a brandy. Or peaches, near the end of the season, right before it starts rotting but hasn’t been collected. The Jura 18 is very light on the nose. It’s thoughtful about what it wants to me. It dances in differnet directions on my tongue even in the finish. A really long, interesting finish. Almost like poprocks dancing in the back of my mouth.

Bill – Like a plum and an ice wine met on the nose. An old English pudding. Eventually turns to a bitter chocolate to go along with the fruit. I’m thrilled about the mouthfeel here. Oily in the right consistency, where it clings to my teeth.