Jura Red Wine Cask Finish Scotch Review
By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod
Rating: C+
(Credit: Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod)
I was recently fortunate enough to visit Jura, both the island and the distillery. This beautiful and remote island lies just one short ferry ride from Islay. With only one long, winding road, just one distillery, and a deer population which massively outnumbers the people (only about 250 people live on Jura compared to the 6000 or so deer), it’s well worth a visit.
George Orwell famously spent some time on Jura between 1946 and 1949, and it’s here that he completed his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Given how quiet and peaceful the island is, it is easy to see how it would make an excellent location for a novelist looking to get some writing done.
The Jura Red Wine Cask Finish is a non-age-statement single malt. As the name would suggest, it has been finished in red wine casks, but the exact type of wine cask used is not specified. Before its wine cask finish, this whisky was matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. It is bottled at a very approachable 40% ABV.
The Scotch
In the glass, the whisky has a rich auburn color. On the nose, it opens with some sweet vanilla and caramel, followed by notes reminiscent of rose-flavored Turkish delight. Fresh cherries and strawberries come through next. Some raisins. And a gentle touch of cinnamon spice.
Cherry-flavored lollipops, and creamy vanilla on the palate. It has quite a soft and rounded mouthfeel. As it develops there’s a hint of some wood polish. The finish is slightly drying and tannic, with some lingering red candy sweetness.
Overall, I found the Jura Red Wine Cask Finish to be an enjoyable enough dram, but not really anything to get too excited about. There is nothing obviously unpleasant here, but I couldn’t help wondering whether the red wine cask finish is being used to distract from a younger spirit. Alternatively, it may simply be that the woody and wood-polish notes are a little too prominent for my personal taste. Even so, this remains a very decent sipper for the price. For those on a budget who are looking for something a bit different from Jura, this could be a good choice.
The Price
I first tasted the Jura Red Wine Cask Finish at the distillery itself (along with the other two Cask Editions in that particular series: the Pale Ale Cask and the Winter Edition). I since noticed that The Red Wine Cask Finish seemed to be fairly widely available across the UK in local supermarkets, and at the very affordable price of around £30.
Great review! I am a long-time fan of Jura and have enjoyed many of their expressions over the years. While this red wine cask finish is approachable and easy to drink, it is, honestly, probably my least favourite Jura expression.
I recently added the Jura Distillery Cask 18 Year Old to my collection, a distillery-exclusive release that I understand was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. I have not opened it yet, as only a few hundred bottles were produced, making it one of the rarer and more special bottles in our collection.