Jura Handfill Cask #2441 - 2002/2019

Whisky: Jura Handfill Cask #2441 - 2002/2019

Region: Highlands

ABV: 56.5%

Price: £171

Today we’re trying a heavily peated handfill Jura that’s spent its entire life in a sherry cask before being bottled at 17 years old. For some reason Jura doesn’t get the love it deserves for the quality it’s capable of producing, but at least this helps keep the prices down for those of us who enjoy it. 

Nose

Nose opens with dirt after a rain shower, sour candy, toasted marshmallows, heavy peat, salty smoke, campfire, and roasted cashews.

Palate

On the palate initially there is ash, some fruitcake dropped in dirt, smoked blackberry jam, molasses, and heavily charred wood. The sherry and peat are well integrated, neither aspect overpowering the other.

Nose (with water)

After water the peat is more subdued and there’s a dustiness that appears on the nose. We’re also getting huge whiffs of salty sea air and smoked kippers.

Palate (with water)

Still well balanced but the peat recedes to allow the sweeter notes to shine. we’re getting dark fruits like prunes coming through in addition to the notes mentioned above. Finally there’s also a touch of tar.

Conclusion

This is not as sherried as we initially anticipated (especially after seeing the colour), but that’s a not necessarily a bad thing. This is very well balanced with smoke, sweetness, fruit and alcohol all working in harmony. It’s a touch pricey, but also very good. Although this cask is long gone, we'd recommend making the short ferry trip over to the Isle of Jura if you're ever around Islay - it only takes an hour or two round trip and we're sure their new handfills will be of excellent quality too.

Score: 8/10 

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

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