Isle of Jura 10 Year Old

Isle of Jura has revamped their core range, which now consists of: Journey, 10, 12 and 18 Year Old and the Seven Wood. This 10 Year Old already existed, of course. The composition remained the same: bourbon barrels with an oloroso finish. Old wine in new bottles? I do remember that the Jura 10 was not very much to my liking in the past.

The nose offers hay, plasticine, manure (I am not kidding), lemons and oranges. Loads of earthy notes and a salty edge. I have to say, I am still not very fond of this.

It is oily and sweet on the palate, but immediately shows some wet cardboard and earth. A salty edge, once more. But it is not really fruity. I get some caramel and walnuts. Turns a bit bitter.

The finish is medium long, dry and bitter.

To be honest, there is no improvement in my book. Pity.

Berfore this, the last time I bought a bottle of Jura 10, I got it for under £10, although it was on offer half price at that time (around 2004?). I remember half-regretting spending that £9.50 then, as I thought that it was completely characterless.

This bottle I have just bought is pretty nice, in an odd sort of way. It has quite a bit of character, although I am still not altogether convinced i like the Jura character. 40% is about right for it for me, as I don't want that Jura weirdness to be much more intense. I feel a bit the same about Bowmores. I don't think that higher alcohol content is always better in weird whiskies.

It tastes quite engineered, and somehow tastes like no whisky really should. Still, I don't regret spending quite a bit more on it this time. I'm also hoping that it will develop a bit, as the bottle of Superstition I bought a while back was pants when I first opened it, but opened up amazingly over the course of a week.

Anyway, not bad. Quite spicy and bold, with a bit of a pear drops style lurking in there. One that you drink just to try to work out what the slightly bizarre taste reminds you of. But I haven't got there yet!

I've always been curious about Isle of Jura 10. It's inexpensive and i think of it as a single malt that's off the beaten path. I picked it up for around 30 bucks, so its somewhat of a bargain. It's been open for about a month and reviewed with half a teaspoon of water.

Nose: Somewhat weird nose. Caramel and a strong whiff of a pungent musk. Probably the worst nose of any single malt I've tried. Clove, ginger, and strong molasse

Palate: Caramel, right off the bat. It suddenly turns into bitter, sweet and sour honey. Toffee. Its all lightly coated with molasses.

Finish: Bitter-sour honey remains. Slight chocolate and spices taper off with caramel remaining at the back of the tongue.

I give the props to @hunggar for mentioning that this SM would be great if it had more age. I've tried to figure this one out, but to no avail. The musky and bitter-sweet nuances take over every facet of the flavors. I noticed that increasing the water with a full teaspoon will settle into an acceptable level, but still with shortcomings.

I haven't been doing this long enough for too many nosing and tasting notes, but I can certainly give my impressions. I've tasted better whisky, for sure. But for every day, "make sure I have enough gas in the car and food in the fridge" whisky, I like this, and I will move from Origin to Superstition when this bottle is done. Then to Elixer, and then Prophecy if it's available. I like the feeling of the little distillery that could. The under dog.

And honestly, this Origin has improved in the couple of months since I opened it. I'm getting stronger oak scent now then I did at first. I like that it stands alone, among other big island distilleries that get way more (in some cases) deserving press.

God bless Jura for being not only reasonably priced, but also for being not bad value for that price. I have two other drams that may fit this value point but I have yet to try them - Tobermory and Isle of Arran. But until I taste a better value, I say Jura is worthy of our glasses.

The Isle of Jura Origin is the reincarnation of their standard 10 Year Old. But you know as well as I that batches can vary significantly and the last time I tried this one was in 2010. Seeing that I will be trying a few Jura today, I felt it was a smart thing to do start with this entry level malt again.

The nose has a heart of malt, with some earthy notes around it. Nevertheless it is quite sweet. Think honey, oranges and caramel. Soft salty edge. Quite fruity. Apple sauce?

It arrives softly on the palate, mildly spicy with a touch of salty. A bit drying. The fruit does not get a lot of room to move about. Aniseed? Nuts, for sure. It becomes a bit spirity, which I do not like so much. Towards the end, it becomes a bit sour too.

The finish is long, with salt and pepper that subdue the sweetness even further.

Oh, well… it remains one of the least interesting Jura I have tasted so far.

I have to admit that I'm not really that much of a Jura fan. I appreciate the superstition, I like the Diurachs, I good friends with the Prophecy, but the 10yo?

My soon-to-be, brother in law, a Jack Daniels fan, asked me to introduce him to the world of whisky. One weekend bored out of my skull, I agreed to join him and my sister in their search for the ideal wedding location. Luckily for me, we passed by my favorite whisky shop, where I bought an absolutely stunning bottle of Lochside. And, as for his request, I selected a few miniatures: HP 12, Old Pulteney 12, Bladnoch, Bunnahabhain 10, Glendronach Revival, Jura 10 and when we returned back home, I gave him a 20cl bottle of Lagavulin and a unopened Ardbeg 10yo miniature to try out at home.

Guess what? He adored the Jura and went back to the store to buy himself a full bottle, leaving me flabbergasted. How could he choose the Jura over all these great malts? Did I miss something?

Which brings us back to tonight: in front of me, a dram of Jura Origin 10yo.

Nose: Light and surprisingly fresh: oranges, cereals, sunflower oil, a pinch of butter, wood polish, with faint hints of salt, but overall notes of spring blossoms.

Taste: dried oranges, again notes of cereal, orange blossoms, honey, oak wood shavings, ginger and a whiff of iodine.

Finish: long, dry and bitter, with fading notes of orange and ginger.

Conclusion: has the Jura 10 improved over the years? Last bottle I tried was a pre-2008? bottle as it still had the "Isle of Jura" logo instead of just "Jura". This not the malt that I recall from my previous tastings, but an significant improved version. Sometimes it pays of to give a whisky a second chance.

• Nose: slightly oily, salty little bit of caramel, a very floral honey and I can’t get the thought of smoked fish out of my head. Bread dough and a tiny bit of pretty raw tequila. With water really dominated by bread dough, there is a suggestion of floral and even some sherbert.

• Pallet: sweet smooth arrival, sweet honey comes first then it’s floury (as in bread dough), there is a suggestion of floral (as in flowers) but then the tequila comes in as you swallow. Drinks as if it’s either very young or at a higher strength than 40. With water still doesn’t go down easy, much more mellow arrival, crème caramel? Really really delicate now. The bread is now toasted, slightly malty and nutty.

• Finish: dry and tangy, saltier a bit briny, for me it clings to the sides of my tongue which is a strange sensation that tequila thing never really lets go. With water little bit of coco, dry again, maybe malty but it’s very thin.

• Mark neat -7.5, with water – 7.5.

It's just a bit raw neat and a bit thin with water. It's not bad whisky, but its just not that good

I was hesitant to give this a shot. Reviews for this tend to be on the average side. I hadn’t planned on picking this up, but this was on sale at my local liquor store this week and I had a few extra bucks in my pocket. And to be perfectly honest… I love the look of the bottle. Yeah I know, silly reason. Luckily I didn’t end up regretting the impulsive decision. At the time of this review, the average score for the Jura 10 is no higher than 73. This is a charming and pleasant whisky of quality that deserves much better than that imho.

Nose: A light nose with a good helping of cereal. Otherwise there are some apples, etc. A basic ex-bourbon nose that hardly exudes originality on the first whiff. On the second whiff, I get a somewhat herbal or vegetal note. Ginger and wisps of salt are here, too. There’s a bit of sharpness here, but it never loses its balance.

Palate: Some white pepper and some ginger are the first things I notice. Butter. Heather. There are some oak notes that follow. This is a bit saltier than expected. Salty, but not dry and briny as some maritime whiskies tend to be. Some mild citrus notes come through, too.

Finish: Short to medium finish. Some lemon rind, ginger ale, salt, white vinegar, and lingering pepper are the last to leave. Nice and even.

I had read a few reviews of this and to be honest I didn’t expect much. It’s nice, though. Ralfy mentioned in one of his reviews that this distillery excels with its older releases. I admit I haven’t tried them, but I do feel like if this were aged longer it’d be a lovely dram. With the salt, butter, pepper, and cereal notes, this has the potential to be on par with something like the Old Pulteney 17. But not yet. It needs a bit more of a punch to it. And while it is a balanced dram, there is some sharpness here. It needs a higher abv. and a few more years in the barrel. With some extra time to mellow out, this could be something truly wonderful. I’m definitely going to have to try some more Jura offerings… the 16 perhaps?

Jura always reminds me of the smell of the ocean breeze the first time you visit each year. It has a slightly sweet and brine-like quality.

Isle of Jura 10 year old turned out to be a steady executor that presents itself smoothly all the way from the start until the very end. It is not complex and it's not as spicy as Jura Superstition. Jura 10 is a safe option. It would suit nicely with afternoon starters. Or in some place where you don't want to draw attention.

Jura 10 definitely brings up the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. It takes me straight away into the hay fields of Tuscany. Jura 10 gives you a feel of nature, especially a blossoming nature. I guess the most ideal way to enjoy Jura 10 would be with the one you love. And of course, under the Tuscan sun.

Nose: Quite fresh and delicate. Very floral and earthly, like smelling the summer hay. Oak is there too.

Taste: Full body with barley mixing in with sweet toffee. A touch of citrus is hanging in the background as well.

Finish: Is nice and medium length with subtle spicy notes and honey.

Balance: Nicely in balance, nothing rules out. Nothing seems to strike through either, which isn't always a good thing. But in Jura 10's case I like the fact that all steps of the tasting are even.

I chose this scotch for my wife to maintain her mild interest in my hobby. After sampling several different malts, this won because it is complex, non-peated, and well balanced-- slightly sweet rather than too oaky or dry. Overall I would call it a success (for both of us!).

Nose: Others have commented on a strange nose; I agree it is distinct and a little pungent, but not that it is bad (or like tequila). Once you get used to it, the fragrance is interesting and adds to the palate while you drink. I can best describe this smell as some combination of moist hay, sneakers, vegetable broth, or apricot. I can see why this is divisive: if you don't want to like it, you probably won't! I would not say it is "floral" a much as it reminds me of a greenhouse. Finally, you can pick out underlying scents that are more common: salty butter, chalk, sherry-induced caramel.

Palate: Enters very lightly and thin. No obvious notes, just smooth, with maybe slight heather. If your glass has not breathed enough, it first tastes leathery and chalky, with some tobacco. But later this develops into thin caramel, which is vaguely salty and well-balanced. There is slight mocha too, if you're looking for it. The palate itself is very easy; what really matters is which way the nose influences your experience.

Finish: A fairly short finish, with a little grapefruit rind and some beckoning for another sip.

I bought a bottle of Isle of Jura 10 year old in my local whisky specialist shop. I talked a bit about this whisky with the salesman, and he said, that among the poeple going into the shop 50% likes Jura and 50% not at all. I also read here the comments, but I felt, that I need to try it myself.

I need to tell, that I was quite satisfied with this whisky. It is not a typical island malt, but can be loved by any whisky-starter, or by those people who prefer fresh tastes instead of peaty flavours.

Nose: it gave a frsh impression with citrus and a little bit of grass/meadow smell.

Taste: citrus flavours can be noticed, with the sweetness of malt. Soft and creamy.

Palate: tastes continue with an opening salinity.

Finish: a little shorted, than I expected, salt, sweet honey-like with citrus.

A nice whisky, my girlfriend liked it too. I think it worth trying it, as it does not cost a fortune.

Bought this as my local had it on special offer. First impression was that I was not impressed.

It had a rather rough oiliness to the body that reminded me of Glenfiddich (probably my least favourite single malt), and the aftertaste seemed to vanish before I had time to access it.

After a few more sips, I would place it a little higher than that unpleasant Speyside, but not significantly.

It's perfectly drinkable - just unspectacular, lacking much depth and with a slightly grating orange zest roughness that makes you pucker slightly.

Regretting not getting my usual Highland Park now - but will finish the bottle, which is more than I would do with Glenfiddich!

Quite lovely...sweet, warm and long. No bitter aftertaste.
Full gold colour with a medium body. Feinty aroma (honey,leather, chewing tabaco)and Winey (shery, wine) Medium complexity and sweet oily mouthfeel. Lingers on... pleasent aftertaste.

Isle of Jura 10 year old caught me off guard the first time I tried it a couple years ago. The nose immediately struck me as containing notes similar to those often found in tequila. I do like a good tequila every now and then, but this struck me as a bit odd. After a few dram sessions, though, I came to appreciate this lovely drink and find myself coming back to it on occasion when I am looking for a lively and exciting dram.

The nose is rather distinctive, in my opinion, as compared to the many other single malts in my collection. Though, it has softened a bit over time after the bottle has been open. Either that, or my nose is better trained! I get a nice combination of sweet honey and caramel, some tequila-like notes, and citrus fruits.

The palate is lively, with sweet honey on the front, some salty and smoky peat and pepper in the middle, and some soft citrus fruit on the end with a hint of bitterness.

Overall, I really enjoy Jura 10 and think it's one of those whisky collection essentials.

This one has really coffee taste for me) More than any other whisky. It's not overly complex, but pretty drinkable and nice.

Nose: Plum jam, peat Palate: Pear, coffee Finish: Coffee beans

Jura 10. I bought it at a steal (£17) and so I wasn't too worried about how it would turn out. My first tasting led me to believe I had nothing to write about on my hands. If I had been a member here, I'd probably have given it a 60. It was floral, light(ish) but harsh and tinny. That was almost exactly 2 years ago.

Now, however, it looks like the game is changing. I stuck some Jura in a decanter (it's a nice colour for a decanter and, as I said above, I'm not worried about giving it away) and left some in the bottle. I'm reviewing the stuff left in the bottle (which is now almost entirely empty)

Nose: Hint of salt, heather, alcohol and something which I think might be spiced pear. The slightest smell of cellar (in agood way!) Fairly light nose, but not unpleasant. Shall we say 17/25?

Palate: Peppery-sweet and slightly citrussy. Having had bad experiences with the newly-opened bottle, this one has quite a pleasant mouth-feel and rushes round quite cheerfully. On a second taste there's a teasing little hint of honey on the tip of my tongue and a bit more heather. There may perhaps be a lick of salt and a pinch of smoke in there. I think I'll give it 19 for a solid effort.

Finish: Very pleasant actually. I'm not normally a huge fan of spiciness but this is really quite enjoyable. It moves from spiciness quite quickly to a much softer taste, with the phantom of honey hanging around. It's that phantom of honey that encourages another sip, so it clearly does its job in encouraging more drinking! There's a nice lick of pepper to keep the taste on the tongue and it has a solid character to it. It's very smooth now that it's mellowed a little and very pleasant. Another 19, perhaps?

Well this most certainly is not the whisky I once disliked! Perhaps my palate has developed, but it's certainly a lot more pleasant than I remember over various tastings over the last 2 years. It's nicely balanced and that elusive dash of honey has kept me coming back for more as I write.

I'm really quite pleased with how this has turned out! A solid (but not earth-shattering) 74 as its final score.

After reading some of the reviews on here and other forums I wasn't sure what to expect with this 10yo Jura Whisky. I tried a dram in a bar recently and was surprised and really pleased with this offering. I've been looking for a casual/mid week dram and after trying a couple of Bourbons recently (one of which I ended pouring half the bottle down the sink, just continued to disappoint) I'm quietly pleased I've found this Jura and bought a bottle.

I'm well aware others have not had good experiences but mine has only been positive. On the nose I'm getting malted and honeyed coffee beans with light floral and white pepper notes. Neat the arrival is light and silky, really well balanced with a distinct three-phased experience: Light heather and caramel, followed by white pepper, smoke and then a leather and sort of flinty finish. I'm also getting cigar tobacco, parchment and citrus aftertastes with coffee beans.

I would rate this well above HP 12, or Balvenie Double Wood as an entry level dram.

This to me has a unique taste and something about the water in it. Highly recommended.

You can't really compare this single malt to some of the delights produced by some of the Islay distilleries but it stands up as a pleasant whisky. Light sea salt and citrus with a smooth, faintly smokey, slightly peaty taste and short but satisfying finish.

Nose: a strong citrus aroma of lemon accompanied by the smell of sea.

Body: Very light

Palate: Vinegar and citric fruits. A little oaky and peppered.

Finish: a little bit of bitterness

The Isle of Jura - west of the Highlands and northeast of Islay, is not that easy to reach. It takes several planes, trains and... a ferry (and the best part of the day) to reach it. That may be part of the charm of this magical island. George Orwell resided there while writing his classic 1984 and called it ‘an extremely unget-at-able place’.

The 180-year old distillery produces whisky that - after doing some research on the subject - seems to be like Woody Allen films: you love ‘m or you hate ‘m. I'm in the first category (with regards to the whisky, not the films).

I found the nose to be somewhat earty and buttery, with a tad of salt, but also soft grain and pine wood.

On the palate, this dram is softer than expected, but full of flavour. Also sweeter than I would have thought with some light fruity touches. Also some vanilla, spicy malt and even some aniseed.

During the finish - which is pleasantly long - salt and sweet battle for attention, while being goaded by light peat and peppers.

This bottle, that I got as a birthday gift from my co-workers, was a pleasant surprise. I would recommend it straight and as an aperitif.

A guest brought this to me at Christmas and I'm quite glad I didn't hand over my hard earned cash for this bottle.

Why? Well there's something I don't like on the nose. And I really don't like it. I once had the misfortune to get horribly ill drinking cheap Tequila back in my reckless youth. Ever since if bad Tequila is waved under my nose I get a gag reflex.

This Isle of Jura doesn't smell like Tequila but it has a quality that reminds me of it. Like cheap alcohol, a rasping chemical stench that stings your nose.

That's the bad news, the good news is that smell doesn't translate onto the palate. Although not much else does. This doesn't have tremendous character, its balanced but not in the sense of balance big flavours, more in the sense of not too sweet, not too acidic, not too rich, not too thin. It doesn't do anything wrong, but it doesn't do anything particularly right either.

The finish? It finishes almost immediately.

Tasted great in the whisky cream we had with the Christmas pud though.

In summary, this is a whisky.