Jura Turas-Mara

Hello, Jura. The additional distillery managed by Richard Paterson, which he appears to not promote much, I question why. I've not experienced many bottles from Jura- the last I tried was the updated 18 year and I must say I wasn't a big admirer. I've also had the 10 and 12, and possibly a couple of No Age Statement releases. The surprising thing is that according to most of my notes- I've enjoyed the NAS ones the most. So, let's see if that continues. This review is for the TRE release from 2015: Turas-Mara. It's Gaelic for "long journey" and the narrative behind this bottle is that it was created to honor local, Scottish highlanders that were relocated to foreign lands long ago. This bottle is chill-filtered, contains added color, and is also bottled (like most Jura) at unusual ABV percentages. This one is 42%. It's a shiny copper in the glass and seems very oily. Numerous legs and tons of droplets form rings around the Glencairn after you swirl it a bit. The nose begins with mint and pepper and is very Irish-like: creamy, smooth, and vanilla sweet. There are buttery pound cake notes and some dark, vine fruits in the background. The crucial point here is that everything is on the lighter side. The palate comes out assertively with more dark fruit: plums, blackberries, and black cherries. Richly sweet with a more sugary sweetness by the middle of the sip. Lightly salted, vanilla chews, and caramels coat the tongue before a baking spice sensation starts to tingle your tastebuds toward the finish. Which, it's a little on the longer side than most Jura I've had previously. It's initially spicy with fresh cut, oak spirals that linger because the sweetness disappears very quickly. There's still little to no warmth, and the oily, heavy mouthfeel persists and persists- it's mostly just wood and pepper. It's an unusual way to conclude, after all the dark fruit and vanilla, but it's not terrible. Overall, this is another NAS from Jura that I much prefer to their current age statement offerings. That kind of indicates to me that they aren't utilizing premium casks for extended aging, which is concerning and questionable. I suppose they'd rather dispatch most of this product for blends and just release NAS items periodically to keep shelf space? I'm not sure. That might explain why Richard Paterson doesn't spend much time promoting them and concentrates on Dalmore as the premium brand he represents. Oh well, this one is solid and worth looking for, I'm not certain of a bottle's price, but I'd spend $40-50 for it. Thanks to my friend, for the sample. 3.75 stars, my friends. Cheers.

It's been a bit since I've reviewed a travel retail exclusive bottle, as my international travel seems to have decreased recently. I believe I have only one TRE left unopened in my collection...I'll need to address that soon. So, let's get to the details. Turas-Mara means Long Journey in Gaelic (appropriate for a whisky aimed at travelers), bottled at 42% ABV, and it is chill filtered with colorant added, giving it an amber honey appearance. It is finished in a mix of bourbon barrels, Bordeaux casks, and ruby port casks. The packaging includes a small flavor wheel indicating categories like “Light & Delicate”, “Peated (light and heavy)”, “Rich & Full-Bodied”, and “Rich & Intense”. Turas-Mara falls under the last category. Let's see if that holds true. The nose starts with clear, distinct notes of apples and apple juice, with a cinnamon stick included. Musty charred oak with what I can only describe as hickory, and despite the flavor wheel suggesting this isn't peated, I detect a faint hint of peat. More fruits appear, such as tangerines, grapes, strawberries, and subtle port notes. Vanilla cream, caramel, and honey are present, along with some brown sugar. Malty, buttery biscuits, a slight nuttiness like peanuts, and mild bourbon characteristics. Plums and mint chocolate contribute, along with a somewhat perfumed aroma and light red wine notes to complete the profile. Nothing objectionable about the nose, but everything was quite subtle and required considerable effort to emerge. The palate, in contrast to the light nose, hit me forcefully. Spicy, musty oak, again with that hint of peat. Dry red wine, red grapes, and maraschino cherries. Dry roasted peanuts, brown sugar, crème brûlée, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Vanilla, plums, peppery spice, mixed berries, apples, and pears. A medium-bodied texture that is creamy and semi-dry. The finish is medium in length, with spices, oak, vanilla, and plums. The nose was pleasant enough, though somewhat underwhelming, but the palate was excessively spiced and not particularly enjoyable. Considering the $90 price for a 1L bottle, this was a major disappointment. Jura often faces criticism for being overpriced and overhyped. I can't say I disagree. I'd suggest it's worth a try, but definitely not a purchase. 3.25 Best wishes.

The most striking feature of this Turas Mara (Gaelic for 'long journey') is the number of aging casks used in its production – four! The proportions and duration are unknown, but Port and Sherry are prominent on the nose, with Sherry being dominant. Consequently, caramel and a cherry molasses tart are present in abundance: a very sweet, almost cloying, and rather unvarying aroma. A potent note of bitter orange immediately hits the palate, along with a certain astringency (Bordeaux?). Malt, which reveals its youth, along with dried fruit, nuts, and a touch of caramel. The nose's extreme sweetness is noticeably diluted in the taste, creating a curious contrast that is somewhat perplexing. The bitter scent is dominant; whether this is a positive aspect is up to the individual's palate. A subtle salty note is also detected. The finish remains bitter, accompanied by astringency and dried fruit.

Jura Distillery's balanced Single Malt Whisky from Islands, Scotland, initially released for Travel Retail. It's made from malts aged in a combination of Bourbon barrels, Sherry butts, French Oak Casks, and port pipes. It starts fruity with notes of plum, black grape, cherry, vanilla, and touches of toffee. Its bittersweet journey adds notes of stewed fruits, toasted grain, vanilla, honey, caramel, dark chocolate, and sherry, leading to a long, oaky conclusion. March 2020 / September 2022

As this is my first Jura whisky, I was incredibly surprised. It has aromas and flavors of dark forest fruits and grapes. There's also a slightly salty, oceanic note present. The mouthfeel is satisfying, and this one invites another sip. This will certainly not be the last Jura I try. My only regret about this one is that it's only sold in duty-free shops.

Sweet, but not excessively so. Smooth; pleasant character. It was a sample and since I don't travel, that's that. I liked it and regret not having a few more sips. If I encountered it available for purchase, I would consider buying it - depending on the price, naturally. $35 would seem reasonable. Significantly better than Jura 10.