Review by: The Muskox

This was dram #2 for me and Cagliostro on our visit to the famous Feathers Pub of Toronto. I’ve heard legends of this Jura: it’s the oldest vintage on a whisky list filled with 70s drams. And it’s 60s Jura! Who knows what we could be in for here.

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Distillery: Jura.

Bottler: Douglas Laing.

Region: Islands (Jura)

ABV: 50%.

Age: 33 years. Distilled April 1966. Bottled in September 1999.

Cask type: Unknown (sherry cask, presumably)

Price: N/A. $50 CAD for a dram at the bar.

Color: 1.8, Old oak, wow! Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Not what I expected here, either. Sweet and herbal. Syrupy fruit – raisin challah and macerated strawberries – it almost smells like a PX sherry. Eucalyptus and herbal cough drops. Dr. Pepper, burnt, sugar, some bubblegum. Fallen leaves and candied violets.

A dribble of water lightens things WAY up, adding melon and buttercream.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Not nearly as sweet as the nose on arrival. Ruby port (without the sweetness), strawberries, violets, and potting soil. Develops to strong charred oak, salty earth, and rich leather. Some cola syrup and even a little Lapsang tea. Boggy slate quarry.

Unfortunately this totally falls apart with water, turning rather bitter and losing all the complexity.

Finish: Medium-long. Rich leather and tobacco, smoked tea, thyme, chocolate ice cream, and more slate.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Lost in the cognac catacombs”

Conclusion: Bizarre and interesting. In case it wasn’t clear, I was not expecting this to be a heavily-sherried whisky. Cagliostro said it drinks more like 50-year-old cognac than scotch. I’ll take his word for it. It’s certainly a monster of earth, oak, and leather, in a rich and tasty way rather than an overbearing one. There are all sorts of weird complexities in that fruity/herbal flavour crossover – though that’s a style that I generally don’t like a whole lot. It’s nice here, but ultimately it didn’t grab me like I hoped it would. For both me and Cagliostro, this came 4^th out of the 4 drams we tried that evening. Still tasty!

Final Score: 85.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.