Quick Dram : Isle Of Jura Boutique barrel 1999 XU heavy peat

Last week’s Peat Summit #1 which was a huge success , but as you know it’s hard to taste so many malts at one session, and review them all. So, i did pour myself a few wee samples to be later tasted at the comfort of my own home, when the wife and kids are all sound asleep and i can focus and give each dram the respect and time it derserves (also be able to let them breath in the glass for longer times than a whisky society meeting will allow). So do expect more tasting notes on those lovely Islays in the near future.

The first whisky i nosed that night (from the bottle, and later from the Glencairn) was the Isle of Jura 1999 XU boutique barrel. Shai had insisted we try that one, and boy was the nose on this something i completely didn’t expect. Amazing nose, but since we got to tasting this one at the end, i needed more time with it, and hence decided to review it first in this series of peat monsters.

I’ve tasted a couple of Juras in the past, even reviewed on here, but I don’t count jura as one of my favorites. They were good solid drams, but nothing spectacular. However, this one is something worth trying. Jura usually are not heavy peated and although the island is very close to Islay , peat is not used, or used in small quantities in their core line expressions, especially in the older versions. This one comes in 55%, at 30 PPM of peat and was aged in Ex-bourbon casks. Not sure that the XU means and have not been able to find anyone that does, maybe @the_nose can help us here?

Ok, it’s time to pour our wee dram and see how it fares.

Isle of Jura Boutique barrel 1999, 12 yo  XU heavy peat 55% OB, £55

Color: Rich Amber

Nose: On first whiff we get some strong peat , wow. I was not expecting this on my first nosing. Really powerful peat. after a few seconds in the glass the peat reek softens, and the nose gets more complex : tengerine, zest of a lemon , kumquats and candied orange peel. Lovely stuff. peat is in the backdrop. a very unique, combination that i dig. Wonderful.  Adding some water brings out more lemony notes, and freshness.

Palate: First you get hit by the peat, and then smoke and some fruity elements, and those oranges and candied orange peel are all over, with some oak and vanilla. Nice array of tastes, and lovely thick body. 55% alcohol, makes it virile and biting.

Finish: A long finish, ending on ash and smoke. drying.

Summing it all up :

This is a stunner of a dram. A great nose, from start, then a very good palate and finish. As I’ve mentioned before, i was not expecting this amount of peat smoke and reek from a Jura, and it was one of the best surprises I’ve gotten in the last months from a dram. A must addition to the whisky-shelf of every peated malts lover. I am in love!

Price is not too high, when you take into consideration it’s a fairly limited bottling and at Cask strength. I’m definitely getting me a bottle of this one. David of LFW, are you ready? 🙂

Many thanks to shai for bringing this one all the long way from Islay. and insisting we try it.

Slainte!