Isle of Jura 1966 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask [Feather’s Flight Review Set #4]

You know, I used to like TOModera’s Feather’s Pub before they were cool. Like, back in the day when he didn’t have the tartan, and he wasn’t such a snob. He’s changed man. I hear he didn’t even review a Cambelton this last time. What a sellout.

Okay, so I do deserve that. It is the fifth and final dram for this time’s instalment of TOModera drinking things he’s probably not experienced enough to figure out, and I didn’t finish all of Scotland.

But let me tell you, when two attractive female friends tell you to spend more, and no Cambelton hits that price level, you have to think fast. And since alcohol affects both of your brains, you go for the nuttiest thing you can.

A Jura. Well, not just ANY Jura, this is Isle of Jura 1966 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask, the oldest friggin dram (in both age and aging) I’ve ever had from the distillery that gets no love and probably not any gloves either. Yeah, you go a little nuts because they’re asking and you’re a sucker for your friends, regardless of how great they look or the fact your can’t do anything about it as you’ve been drinking whisky, are married, and they are both long term SO to some of your closest friends.

Well dammit, you order a Jura. And then find out that no one knows anything about it. My best guess, based on tasting it, is that it’s finished in port barrels. Or uses magic of some kind. Or may be the portent to tell us all that the world is ending.

Screw it, let’s review.

Region: Island

Age: 33 years old

Distilled: 1966

Bottled: 1999

Abv: 50%

Colour: Red/Brown (auburn)

Nose: Currant, nuts, strawberry, Brown sugar, cranberry, red grapes, cloves

Gone are the funky, swampy note, and left are those nice brown sugar and cloves notes that I like in Jura. Mixed in, which leads me to believe there is a wine influence of the Port variety are heavy flavours of red fruits which do not dampen the spiciness.

Hot damn, this is a very nice dram. Nothing like over Juras, that’s for sure.

Taste: Strawberry, burn, cloves, brandy, rhubarb, vanilla, cocoa beans, allspice

There’s more of the strawberry, just a tad burn, yet reminds me more of brandy than your typical whisky burn. This could be brandy finished, for all I know, given the flavour profile.

Great, now I have to try and bring back /r/cognac to see if it is brandy. Dammit.

Finish: Cinnamon, lime, cherry, caramel, sea salt, cranberry, coffee beans

Sweet, spicy, salty… yep, this is like one of my ex-girlfriends. Granted this one won’t try and stalk me and steal my jewelry.

Joking aside, it’s a lot different than your typical Xmas taste finish, as there are newer and more vibrant flavours bouncing around, with just the right amount of sweetness and bitterness to balance out.

Conclusion: If you’ve ever had a Jura and not liked it, or had a Jura and enjoyed it, this will blow your freaking mind. It’s complex, it uses the original Jura flavour profile and builds on it, and it’s really bloody tasty. Wish I could find out what it was finished in, however the vast internet (or probably my lack of sleep and poor ability to Google right now) has failed me. It’s going to be rough to review the 16 after having this one….

90/100

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