Jura Brooklyn
42% ABV - Isle of Jura, Scotland
Nose: Rich flavours of raisin, plum, dried fruit, and chocolate. Light spices, cinnamon, and a smoky-wood element in the background. There is a lot to it here. Stretching a bit finds light citrus and rum Christmas cake.
Taste: Dark fruits and cocoa… a dark chocolate with hints of cherry starts to become dominant. More plum, nectarine, stewed fruits, and spice. Slightly peated character wafting about.
Finish: Dark chocolate, dried fruits, dried flowers, wafers, spices, and a small amount of smoke. It’s a bit too short, and it’s drying.
Jura Brooklyn is a really good whisky. It’s one of the first whiskies that I tried just once in a bar and immediately went searching. It’s one of the first whiskies I hunted and tracked down – a dusty find on the bottom shelf in Portland, Oregon!
I purchased this whisky in May 2017 (yes, I keep track of these details). It took me quite a while to open this bottle… perhaps too long. I think that my palate changed slightly. The time was filled tasting other whiskies! But now, I don’t like this as much as I first remembered. Lesson learned: open whisky when you buy it to enjoy it more.
Again, it is a really good whisky, but some of the flavours feel that they are in competition with each other. Almost as if this whisky was designed to be versatile in a number of cocktails, in addition to performing very well either neat or on ice. Nonetheless happy to have it, happy to drink it, and happy to share it anytime!
Details: Jura Brooklyn has been aged in American White Oak Bourbon, Amoroso Sherry, and Pinot Noir casks. Created by Master Distiller Willie Tait in collaboration with the following "County of Kings" businesses: Bedford Cheese Shop, Brooklyn WInery, The Richardson, Post Office, Fine & Raw, New York City Food Truck Association, BAM, Brooklyn Brewery, Noorman’s Kil, Vimbly, Buttermilk Channel, and Brooklyn Magazine.
Tasting Notes (Official): Note the aroma of roasted coffee beans–a scent our collaborators insisted upon. We’ve balanced it with traces of currant and figs. You’ll also notice the taste of smoke, a nod to the borough’s infamous dive bars. We’ve tempered this flavour with berries and honey.
Tasted 15 October 2020. (Posted 19 October 2020.)
