Beinn A’ Chaolais, Gaelic for the Mountain of the Sound, is one of the three mountains (or Paps) on Jura. This particular mountain with an altitude of 733 meters (the smallest of the three) oversees the small channel between Jura and Islay, called the Sound of Islay. It’s one of three expressions in the Paps of Jura limited edition bottling (of 1366 bottles each). Mountain of Sound is a 15 year old single malt, finished on Bordeaux wine casks that previously held Cabernet Sauvignon.
What a strange nose, ‘dry’ nose indeed! I get a combination of prunes, walnuts, green apples and wet cardboard. It also has something buttery and ‘vegetal’. Reminds me of asparagus in butter. The longer I leave the glass, the more that is what I get. But I do like it!
The attack is creamy and peppery. It clearly reveals it’s wine profile, but without becoming winey. That’s always a risk with wine finishes, but this one copes. There is also quite a bit of oak there, making it somewhat bitter. I get caramelized orange peel, covered in dark chocolate. Not bad at all.
The finish is long with nutmeg. It dies a bitter death.
Wine finishes are for the aficionados, I guess – and I’m not one of them, I have realized a while ago. But this one did well, all things considered. You can still find it for about 100 quid (which I find extravagant for a 15 year old Jura).
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