Isle of Jura 23 Year Old 1988 The Whisky Agency

In the range Romantique, with truly magnificent labels, the German Indie The Whisky Agency bottled quite a few gems. One of those is this 23 Year Old Isle of Jura, which is surprisingly dark for a bourbon hogshead. The legs are massive.

On the nose, the rancid edge returns: cowhide, hay and oats. But apart from that I also get some pipe tobacco and even chewing tobacco, affectionately known as Chewbacca (any Star Wars fans out there?). Some old leather, polish included, but also candied fruit and brown sugar. This was a bourbon cask?

On the palate it turns bittersweet with grapefruit and the seed of an orange, in collaboration with the oak. Nice mouthfeel. Feisty on pepper. A forest of licquorice. This is very, very good.

The long, feisty finish, makes me throw my prejudice about Jura overboard once and for all.

I confess I was somewhat reserved with regards to Jura (the official bottlings that I had tasted before could not really convince me), but after today I am convinced that Jura actually has a few exceptionally great whiskies. You just have to find out who bottled them.

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