Isle of Jura 13 Year Old Chieftain’s Choice

Ian Macleod Distiller’s Chieftain’s Choice range has been around for many years and is somewhat hit and miss. Their whisky appears in so called Small Batches, but what is small exactly if you know that 924 bottles of the 13 Year Old Jura were released. This very pale dram matured in a bourbon cask and was cut to a drinking strength of 43% ABV.

The nose is subtly perfumed with wild flowers and very fruity on lime, pineapple and banana. Some vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. It does not show the rancid edge that I have come to find in Jura bottlings. Nosing this blind would have put me way of mark. But it is very, very good.

With a wonderful body, this rolls creamily over the tongue. Again sweet and fruity (mostly pinepapple now) and spicy. White pepper and a lot more salt than on the nose. The wood speaks volumes, but is at no point overbearing.

The medium long finish shows mostly salt and licquorice.

An atypical and surprising Jura that enchanted me. A fruity breakfast whisky.

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