The Isle of Jura is one of those miscellaneous isles like Skye and the Orkneys that don't quite fall under any other Scotch geographic heading and get short shrift in the press, being generally getting lumped in with Islay.
But I've heard quite good things about Jura, and so I went out and purchased their entry level expression, "Origin," which is (I think) 10 years aged in ex-bourbon barrels (so expect vanilla and cream and maybe sweet orange). It's bottled at a rather disappointing 40% ABV (I would prefer 43% or 46%), and tastes like... well, let's get to it.
Nose: In a word, soft. Honey is prominent, and heather, and a nice orange cream. Light straw scent mixing around. Not very complex nose, honestly, but still rather pleasant. Some sharp alcohol fumes and raw cereal grains betray the young age a little.
Mouthfeel: Quite thin, light herbal oily coating, probably due to to the 40% ABV strength.
Palate: Young alcohol. Still very very soft - caramel and very distinct buttery toffee notes are veined through thick cereal notes, like marbling in a steak. A surprising pungent floral taste, almost like lavender and rosewater, but not quite rising to that level of intensity. More tasty cereal. Jura's own website says "black liquorice," which I simply don't find anywhere at all. Grassy, like a freshly cut yard.
Finish: Fluffy sugary marshmallow crosses paths on a spring day with the oak from the ex-bourbon barrels. The way the oak develops reminds me a lot of nicer bourbons. The oak dominates on the back end, the sweetness just can't keep up with it. It fades away gracefully, if a bit astringently.
Verdict: This is nice, but young and not quite fully grown yet. Still, it promises very good things from the other Jura expressions. I'm quite curious now about Superstition and Prophesy! I would give this a Lightly Recommended - I got this on sale for $35 or so, which is about right. This would be a good gift to bring to a dinner party of drinkers. It would be overwhelmed by rich tastes like red meat or fried foods. Everything about it is delicate and floral.
Link to Jura's website for Origin: http://www.jurawhisky.com/en_us/our-whiskies/origin
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