ISLE OF JURA 1988 31.25 'BANQUET FOR THE WICKER MAN' - THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Often, when people go to Islay they forget that there's an island right next to it... Jura!...and that they make whisky there too. Now, the Jura whisky has often been bashed for being feinty and generally carry a rather impure style, but still, that style must appeal to some punters since they're still producing.

I've often found that Jura whisky carries a certain peaty  and also distinct vegetable style not often found elsewhere... but I guess that's just what makes up the Jura style :-) and even if you don't like the whisky, go anyway - it's incredibly beautiful on Jura and its a great place to watch heard of deer roaming about... which by the way is also how the island got its name - from the old Norse 'Djur' which mean 'animal' or 'deer' which then later came to be the Jura we know today.

Now, on to the review...

The Jura Distillery stills, May 9th 2011 © The Malt Desk

Isle of Jura 1988 31.25 (27.09.1988) 24yo 'Banquet for The Wicker Man' 53,4%, Refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 255 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Colour is straw

Nose:
Herbal, marsh/swapy notes, decaying vegetation, wet leaves, peat - the lighter stuff, not the black 'n' heavy deep cut peat. An underlying gristy note, like barley straight off the mill. Also getting a strange soapy note popping up from time to time, maybe like a floral washing up liquid. Boiled vegetables, light toasted bread and apple, hint of eucalyptus and then going back to its malty source.

Taste:
Slightly soapy again in a good way, barley rich, bit of veggie/cabbage notes, wholegrain biscuits, muesli, salty stale water, tobacco ash, burnt rice pudding, sweet apple and medium style peatiness.

A much more expressive nose than palate... a strange one indeed, but it works in its own crazy way!

85/100!

Finally, thanks to MBO for the sample!