“It’s the journey, not the destination that shapes us”. A beautiful quote I took from Jura’s own website, where they use it to describe the Jura Journey. And I couldn’t agree with that statement more. For me, tasting a whisky is always a journey. The best ones take you through valleys and mountaintops and give you an entire world to explore. Others are more like the equivalent of a trip to the grocery store though. Which is still a journey, but not really something to write home about.
I truly wonder where this Jura will land in that spectrum. Because even though I appreciate the branding, I’ve always been hesitant to buy myself some Jura. I heard a lot of mild responses from friends (who also love a good dram) and thus I never took the plunge to purchase an entire bottle… but I did buy this sample instead. And who knows, maybe it can convince me to buy a bottle and be my travel companion for longer than one dram. Let’s find out!
Tasting Notes: Jura Journey
Stats:
ABV: 40% (80 proof)
Age: NAS
Distillery: Isle of Jura Distillery Co.
Owned by: Whyte and Mackay
Category: Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Chill-Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: No
Setting:
It’s a cold Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting back in my recliner comfortably tucked away underneath a blanket. I decided to enjoy the quiet today, and I’m just relaxing with my two puppers at my feet. Feeling as comfortable as I can be. I poured the whisky neat into a Sniffer tasting glass and I’m all set for the “journey” at hand.
Nose:
The nose is light and floral. There’s some fresh cut grass that immediately pops out of the glass, behind it there are some violets as well. I’m also getting hints of lemon and a green tea note. It’s almost like a homemade iced tea, without an overbearing amount of sugar. There’s also a buttery note to it but I’m failing to pick up the hint of smoke I see a lot of people writing about. It’s a very easy-going nose, with barely any burn at all. It’s not a bad nose at all, but it doesn’t really peak my interest either.
Palate:
Quite watery on the tip of the tongue, but that’s to be expected at 40% ABV. On the back of the palate there’s some baking spices and pepper that comes as fast as it goes. There are some wood notes similar to those you’d get when sucking on a popsicle stick for too long as a child, but it’s mellowed out by the same buttery quality that was present on the nose. The ice cream that used to be on that wood is on the palate as well, namely a pear fruit popsicle. I find myself wondering if it’s the ABV holding it back, or that at a higher percentage the wood notes would become too overwhelming. As it is I feel like it’s potential has not quite been met.
Finish:
On the finish there’s a little apricot that does not last very long. The buttery note becomes watery very fast and all that remains is the bitter popsicle wood note. The finish is definitely not something to write home about, but up until now I do feel like the dram held its own at its price point.
Verdict:
As stated above, I feel like this dram holds its own amongst other drams at its price point. Over here that’s around 25 euro. I feel like you can do a lot worse, even if this is not something memorable or special. It’s just an okay dram that doesn’t demand your full attention, but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes it’s nice to have something you can just sip along with whatever you’re doing. I wouldn’t call this whisky a “Journey” in its own right, but I can see it as a decent option to accompany you on a journey of your own. I wouldn’t mind bringing this along while camping for example, as I feel like a warm summer night outdoors would suit it quite well.
Rating:
75/100
Value:
B
Click here to learn more about how I come up with my tasting notes and how I determine rating and value.
