Whisky Single Malt Elixir Isle of Jura 12 years old: review and tasting notes
The Whisky Single Malt Elixir Isle of Jura 12 Years Old is a classic distillate of the Islands where you will find great pleasantness, roundness and sumptuous aromas. A warning for lovers of peat and strong flavors: give up all hope or you who love smoked, this is a clean, caramel, citrusy, spicy whisky of course, but one that peat does not see even at 200 nautical miles. You are warned.
But this does not mean that it is not an exhilarating and deep whisky, on the contrary, the spicy tones and the excellent balance between the freshness, the ripe and decadent fruit that takes on the oxidized flavors of dried fruit and raisins, is intriguing and maintains the always tonic taste.
As you well know, the single malt scotches of the Isle of Jura distillery are the children of a legendary master distiller, the brilliant Richard Paterson, one of the stars of the Scottish still. The processing is classic, malt and pure water, the mash is made, fermented and then distilled in discontinuous copper stills. Double distillation, heads and tails are discarded and then the distillate spends 12 years of aging in barrels previously used for bourbon and sherry. And precisely this refinement indelibly marks the Elixir whisky: if the base is savory and sharp, the blend of woods rounds and adds glorious notes of caramel, roasting, toffee, but also the nutty and medicinal notes of sherry,
The result is an impeccable whisky, with a very broad and demanding aromatic profile: it is rich, enveloping, but never complacent or redundant, the aromas and flavors of citrus fruits are always ready to cut across the sweetness.
The bouquet
An ambitious and cheeky nose that makes wealth a boast. The fruit is an intricate interplay between citrus fruits, dates, raisins, all dried fruit of this world, and caramel’s honeyed and titillating tone. However, the balance is good, the play of light and shadow stimulates, especially considering the background of coffee and chocolate that enriches the experience. Medicinal and herbaceous tones punctuate here and there.
What does Single Malt ‘Elixir’ Isle of Jura 12 Years taste like?
On the palate it is wide-ranging, soft, but does not allow itself to be soft or indecisive: the heat is well-balanced, perfectly set in a large structure, but is compact. Baroque, but credible: all the suggestions perceived on the nose are found in the mouth and declined with cleanliness. Herbs and toffee are lost in a memory of the sea.
In conclusion, it is a whiskey definitely studied at the table, calibrated in every small layer of flavor, modeled by a Carthusian refinement and that shuns any excess or wild trait of a sea rebel, however, it does not allow itself to be harnessed in a predictable pattern. On the contrary, it has a good pace and develops with precision.
Price
50 euros.
Food pairings
Smoked salmon, four-cheese pasta, onion soup and all chocolate spoon desserts. Great for spiced cakes and desserts such as carrot and almond cake. Recommended dishes: chocolate salami, apple pie, mud cake, creme brûlée.