Whisky Discovery #145

Isle of Jura 'Elixir' 12 Year Old (40% abv OB, 2012 35cl)
Island Single Malt
Circa £17.00 35cl

Jura's elusive 12 Year Old addition to their core range Elixir

This expression from Jura seems to be only available from Sainsbury's as I have not found it anywhere else yet. It appears to have been launched at the end of 2011, and only available in 35cl bottles. I am on the Jura Diurach mailing lists and don't recall any publicity regarding it's launch and is not available to purchase from their online store. A little searching through the Jura blog and I eventually found some information in a blog post dated 18th November 2011 which launched Elixir.

The name Elixir refers to a local folklore. You may be aware that, Jura have a tradition of drawing upon the island’s myths and legends as inspiration for their whiskies, and Elixir is no exception. This folklore says that the island’s water, used in all their whiskies, has life-prolonging and mystical health-giving properties. Several Diurachs claimed to have lived to their hundreds, including one man who, according to his gravestone, lived to be 180 years old. They go no to say "We obviously don’t claim that drinking whisky does make you live longer, but it’s not called the water of life for nothing you know!"

This 12 year old malt has been finished in a mixture of American White Oak and Sherry Casks, this combination includes crushed almonds, pineapple and fresh roasted coffee aromas

So what did I think?

This is a very sweet whisky, both on the nose and the palate. The colour is a rich golden amber and the nose is initially very rich and sweet. There are huge obvious aromas of caramel, sultanas and toffee, but with a little time, other aromas penetrate the intense sweetness. There is a herbal note which I can't quite put my finger on, and a spiciness like nutmeg, a light cinnamon dusting, and a hint of wet, earthy potting compost.

On the palate, it feels a little thinner than I was expecting given the richness and sweetness of the nose. The sweetness is strong in the form of the caramel toffee with juicy dried fruits of sultanas and raisins, and a lovely spiced orange peel. A smoky herbal spiciness eventually comes through with and it finishes with a nuttiness to the light wispy smoke.

This is an interesting whisky and it certainly doesn't come across as the sherry bomb I was expecting. It was first introduced to me by my eldest daughter, but was fortunate enough to be given a bottle of this by my youngest daughter for my recent birthday, so it's on the shelf. 

As I said initially this is a very sweet whisky, probably perfect for a dessert whisky?