I was recently fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit Jura (the island and the distillery). This beautiful and remote island is just one short ferry ride from Islay. With only one long winding road and only one distillery, and where the deer population massively outnumbers the people, it’s well worth a visit! About 250 people live on Jura compared to the 6000 or so deer, so the name Jura fittingly means “deer island”.
George Orwell famously spent some time on Jura between 1946 and 1949, and it’s here that he completed his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Given how quiet and peaceful the island is, it is easy to see how it would make an excellent location for a novelist looking to get some writing done.
The distillery was first established in 1810. Apparently, it was originally called the “Small Isles Distillery”. Like many other distilleries in Scotland, it experienced a long period of closure when there was a drop in demand for whisky across the industry. Jura ceased operations in 1901 until it was reopened again six decades later in 1963. The distillery has changed ownership a number of times, and is now operated by Whyte & Mackay.
The ferry to Islay is a large vessel that carries cars, trucks, and passengers across from the Scottish mainland. It’s a journey that takes around two hours and feels a little like a proper sea crossing. By contrast, the ferry from Islay to Jura is tiny, only able to carry somewhere between 4 or 5 cars at a time. It takes just a few minutes to make the short trip across the narrow straight between the two islands which is called the Sound of Islay. One of the more memorable things about visiting the distillery was the display of various knick-knacks which have been sent to the distillery by fans of Jura from around the world – a lovely, quirky touch to the distillery’s visitor centre.
I first tasted the Jura Red Wine Cask Finish at the distillery itself, along with the other two Cask Editions in that series: the Pale Ale Cask and the Winter Edition. I’ve since noticed that the Red Wine Cask Finish seems to be fairly widely available across the UK in local supermarkets, and at the very affordable price of around £30 (or $39, which should be just a little cheaper than a bottle of Glenmorangie 12). My understanding is that all three of the whiskies from this Cask Edition series are limited releases, so they may slowly become increasingly hard to find. Interestingly, upon my return home I’ve found that the Red Wine Cask Finish only seems to be available from just one online retailer, and for the equivalent of £57 (comparable to the price of Glenmorangie 16 Nectar d’Or), so prices and availability elsewhere outside the UK may also differ.
The Jura Red Wine Cask Finish is a non-age-statement (NAS) single malt. As the name would suggest, it has been finished in red wine casks, but the exact type of wine casks used is not specified. Before its wine cask finish, this whisky was matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. It’s bottled at a very easy-going 40% ABV.
Jura Red Wine Cask Finish – Review
Colour: Rich auburn.
On the nose: Initially some sweet vanilla and caramel, followed by rose-flavoured Turkish delight. Fresh cherries and strawberries. Some raisins. A touch of some cinnamon spice.
In the mouth: A very soft and rounded mouthfeel. Cherry-flavoured lollipops. More creamy vanilla. Then there’s a hint of some wood polish. The finish is somewhat drying and tannic, with some lingering red candy sweetness.
Conclusion:
Overall, I found the Jura Red Wine Cask Finish to be a solid and quite enjoyable dram, but not really anything to get too excited about. To be honest, when I tasted all three Cask Editions at the distillery, my favourite was the Winter Edition. I didn’t see any of those on supermarket shelves, however, so ended up with the Red Wine Cask Finish instead.
While there isn’t anything obviously unpleasant in this whisky, I do harbor some reservations that the cask finish may be an attempt to distract from possibly younger spirit? Or perhaps it’s just that the woody and wood polish notes were just not quite for me. Even so, it’s still a very decent sipper for the price! If you’re on a budget and want something interesting from Jura, this would be a very decent choice.
