Jura 1988 (Archives)

An Isle of Jura 1988 in the Archives series. Similar casks have been bottled by Wilson & Morgan (#747) and Mo Òr (#756). Other recent bottlings by The Whisky Agency and Villa Konthor were very much to my liking.

Isle of Jura 24 yo 1988 (51,3%, Archives 2012, bourbon cask #752, 60 btl.)

Nose: a curious nose. There’s sweet heather honey, almond paste and some caramel. Roasted chestnuts. Lovely farmy notes as well (hay, wet stables, hints of manure). Leather. Cigar leaves. Then nice menthol notes and back to fruitier notes (overripe apricots). Some mineral notes. Impressive complexity. Unusual but very nice.

Mouth: starts on oranges, herbs and liquorice, followed by some earthy and rooty notes. Hints of peat even. Ginger. Malty notes underneath. A coastal twist as well.

Finish: medium long, rather grassy and herbal, with a nutty edge and a zesty bitterness.

On the nose this Jura is truly unique, with a wonderful hint of farmy Brora to it. It’s slightly herbal and tangy on the palate, but lovely entertainment nonetheless. Around € 85 (quite a lot cheaper than comparable releases), available from Whiskybase.

Score: 89/100