Jura 1966 (Signatory cask #1485)

Here’s one of the legendary Jura 1966 bottlings: cask #1485 bottled by Signatory Vintage for their 10th anniversary.

I tried this back in 2011 at a Weedram Masters tasting hosted by Bert Bruyneel, but somehow I never got around posting my notes. The idea was always to try a modern standard bottling head-to-head with an old legend.

Jura 32 yo 1966 (50,6%, Signatory Vintage ‘10th Anniversary’ 1998, cask #1485, 248 btl.)

Nose: a great mix of fruity notes (pear, peach, pineapples and bananas) and leather. Then dried flowers (buttercups, dandelions) and waxy notes (wax candles, butter). Fine herbal touches, a little vanilla and very light smoky wood.

Mouth: softer than you’d think at 50%. A great fruit salad again. Pineapple, orange, passion fruit, moving towards honey and spices. Light herbs. Excellent creaminess, with hints of toffee, and a great balance of easy fruits and spicy body.

Finish: medium long, with the same fruits, light herbs and a touch of smoke again.

Even though some people seem to detect a hint of soapiness in this Jura, I think it’s pretty perfect and deserves its fame. Tons of lovely (tropical) fruits, oily notes and balanced maturity. One of the benchmarks for this distillery.

Score: 92/100