According to the fine folks at Decadent Drinks, this very mature cask of Jura spent its entire life on the island of Jura— a place that is home to far more deer than it is people. It was one of the last whiskies released under the Whisky Sponge label, before the dawn of Whisky Land and new adventures from Decadent Drinks. Jura and I have an odd, one-sided relationship. Sometimes it scratches an itch like few other whiskies, but just as often I would rather drink anything else— and this has been equally true of venerable older casks as younger ones.

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Whisky: Jura 30 Year (1994), Whisky Sponge No. 97

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 46%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 1994, Bottled 2024)

Notes: Coastal and slightly creamy with fleshy tropical stone fruits— rambutan and lychee especially. Mellow herbal spices drifted somewhere around caraway and celery seed with a mild brine while dried grass and buttery shortbread cookies left the impression of a musty tropical market with fried pastries and traditional medicine shops close at hand. Light-bodied and oily in a buttery sense, with tropical fruits and mustier herbs— it was noon in the tropical market as the heat of the day brought out slightly overripe tropical fruit, dried grass, herbal spice, and metallic iron. Rambutan and lychee again with familiar caraway and celery seed, even a touch of earthy turmeric and cinnamon, while sun-dried tea lingered further in. Metallic at times with a gentle brine and lively touch of pepper at the end. The finish was long and slightly peppery with musty herbs and grass clippings.

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Score: 7 (82)

Mental Image: Noon at the Old Mātete

Conclusion: Old-fashioned at times with its musty grass, iron, and fermented herbal character at the end, there was no mistaking the age of this whisky. The mouthfeel was buttery and smooth, not quite waxy in my opinion, but it certainly had presence and the flavors were lively. Jura does not get a lot of love and slightly eccentric whiskies like this are not going to win over a ton more fans. Some of the qualities I consider old-fashioned are not always beloved by modern drinkers (and I am not a big fan of fermented herbal elements… sometimes they strike me as skunked beer, though this never went that far). Overall, a pleasant and intriguing whisky— I would happily accept a pour, but I will stick to the peatier Jura that I seem to enjoy more.

Image Credit: Decadent Drinks