Most scotch brands find one flavor profile and stick to it. Isle of Jura, on the other hand, has a core lineup comprised of 4 very different whiskys. There’s something for everyone, just like Disney World.
The flavor profile changes throughout the Highland Park lineup, but you always know you’re drinking Highland Park. It’s not so easy when it comes to Jura. They produce four entirely unique styles from light and fruity to full bodied and smokey. Not bad for an island with 30x more deer than people.
Jura Origin, a 10-year-old single malt, is the entry level of the bunch. It’s light-bodied and unpeated, meaning it’s approachable for even the most anti-scotch drinker. There’s fruit up front and honey in the back, with some oak and caramel in the middle. While it’s not the most complex spirit, there’s nothing bad to say about it. If you “trying to get into scotch,” this is a great place to start.
There are two different directions to go after the . You can remain light bodied but add peat, or you can bump up the flavor but still skip the peat. Superstition is the light bodied and lightly peated option.
While Origin and Superstition are aged in used bourbon barrels, the latter is a better indicator of scotch at large. Peat is the whole point, after all. It’s not overwhelming by any means though. The spirit has honey throughout as well as a little spice and smoke. It’s like a big boy version of Origin. It doesn’t carry an age statement but is a mix of undisclosed-age young spirits and those aged up to 21 years.
If peat isn’t your thing, there’s always Dirucha’s Own. It’s aged 14 years in white American Oak before spending another 2 years in sherry casks. This gives it a big full bodied flavor and subtle yet irresistible sweetness. Chocolate and orange jump right out of the glass, metaphorically speaking of course, along with other more muted citrus fruit. It’s won several awards if you’re into superficial stuff like that, but more importantly it tastes great even to those who can’t uncover 23 different flavors in any given glass.
Prophecy is the big dog of the bunch. It’s full bodied and heavily peated. Prophecy isn’t a smokebomb like Laphroaig, but it’s on its way. Hidden within the smoke are tremendous cinnamon and sea salt flavors that lead to a lingering finish. It also pulls vanilla from the Limousine oak casks in which it’s aged. I have from a very unreliable source that this is Burt Reynold’s favorite scotch.
As you can see, there really is something for everyone, assuming everyone likes drinking. I don’t normally talk about a whole range of whisky at once, but Isle of Jura’s uniqueness comes from its variety so it seemed to make sense. The true beauty is that in a time of ridiculous price increases in the single malt world, all four of these come in between $42 and $75. It’nice to be able to find good product without having to spend a fortune.