Jura 1989 (SV cask #30729)

This is from a rare heavily peated run at Jura distillery. It was distilled on 17 December 1989 and bottled on 10 April 2015 by Signatory Vintage.

Similar barrels in the #30700-30730 range have been bottled in the past few years.

Isle of Jura 25 yo 1989 (60,9%, Signatory Vintage 2015, bourbon barrel #30729, 194 btl.)

Nose: like it. A layered nose, with obvious peat, ink and soot. A few tarry notes and maritime elements. It combines nicely with a big vanilla sweetness (custard) and something of strawberry marshmallow. Also herbal / floral notes.

Mouth: a lot of tar, burnt grass, cloves and liquorice. Maybe not raw peat as such, but lots of intensity anyway. Add to this the high alcohol strength and you have kind of a Fisherman’s Friend equivalent in whisky. Very spicy (chilli peppers) and medicinal as well. Camphor. Cough syrup.

Finish: still very peaty and grassy, leaving a firm bitterness.

Quite a beast, I liked the nose but the balance wasn’t taken further on the palate. Certainly interesting but I liked cask #30734 better. Around € 130.

Score: 85/100