Jura 18 Year Travel Exclusive

My previous reviews were slightly inaccurate. This review is actually for the "Isle of Jura 42%abv", the most recent whisky I tasted. I had previously reviewed a Jura 18 at 40%abv. I am now correcting this across all rating platforms. Upon opening the sample, I immediately detected an aroma of Christmas Cake and Orange. Excellent. It has a bronze color. The aroma is amazing, creamy, with a pleasant aged mild peat that combines with the dried fruitiness. I also noticed a faint cigarette note. It smells of old, nearly expired raisins. Dried fruits. Hazelnut. A bit wine-like. Wonderfully complex. Citrus notes emerge after about five minutes. Christmas cake and dried fruits are prominent. After the first sip, orange notes reappeared on the nose. A second sip brought forth a caramel aroma. On the palate: it is bitter, intensely bitter, and very peaty. It's not harsh, however. It presents a bitter, acidic, peaty flavor profile, lacking distinct notes but offering overall 'profiles', and it's very smooth. The sensation is peculiar; you perceive the flavors as harsh, yet it's exceptionally smooth, almost as if your palate is being deceived. It's not the best on the palate; it's somewhat unusual, but not bad. Finish: Cigarettes, ashes, and smoke in a very pleasant manner. No spiciness, just a lot of smoke reminiscent of a damp campfire. That's precisely the sensation in the aftertaste. Overall, this is something different. I don't think I'd recommend purchasing a bottle, but it is a good whisky. It's just peculiar – not entirely pleasant, but not unpleasant either. It lacks 'soul', which I believe is a fair assessment. Simultaneously, it's smooth. But strange. I'm uncertain how to rate it, and I suspect if you've read this far, you understand my dilemma. The aroma is exceptional, earning a 25 out of 25. The palate is bizarre but not bad, scoring 20 points. The aftertaste is good, nothing remarkable, 20 points. Balance is 21 points. It's like a great perfume. The smell is amazing.

Oh there was so much potential here. I was hoping anything finished in “Grand Cru” was worthy of at least 4 stars. The word Grand simply implies larger than ordinary. But sadly this one here is anything but Grand. This Jura is 18 years old, with some years spent finishing in French Grand Cru wine barrels. Grand Cru, as the name implies is one of the best standards for French Bordeaux red wine, only to be superseded by Premier Grand Cru. Hopefully that translates to a better finishing for the whisky. But..alas, I’m proven wrong, at least for this one. The nose starts off really well. You get a salinity, briny aroma with some heft from the wine. The taste unfortunately takes a dive. It’s really rough, the wine’s weight fighting against the Islander’s saline. It’s a tug of war, that finally goes to the saline part, but it’s a Pyrrhic victory at best. Keeping in line with other Juras I’ve had, it’s just not worth the pour. Nothing to see here. Move on.