Jura Launches 12 Oloroso and 15 Manzanilla Sherry Cask Whiskies
The Isle of Jura has roughly 250 residents and around 5,000 red deer, so the deer win by about 20 to 1. The island's one distillery has now released two new Sherry cask finished single malts, the Jura 12 Year Old Oloroso Edition and the Jura 15 Year Old Manzanilla Edition. They are the first two bottles in a new range, and each one uses a different style of Sherry cask for its finish.
Did You Know?
Jura the island has one road, one pub and one distillery, and George Orwell called it "extremely unget-at-able" in 1946.
The 15 Year Old Manzanilla Edition comes with a food pairing from lead blender Joe Ricketts: fresh oysters.
The range takes its inspiration from "sobremesa," the Spanish custom of lingering at the table after a meal to talk with friends and family.
The Release
Both whiskies start the same way, in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. After that, they go in different directions.
The 12 Year Old Oloroso Edition is fully finished in a mix of American and European oak Oloroso Sherry hogsheads. Oloroso is the darker, richer style of Sherry, and a hogshead is a mid-sized cask. According to the brand, the whisky offers "layers of prune, caramelised walnut and dried citrus." The official notes describe a nose of peach and apricot, a palate moving from stone fruit to prune and crystallised citrus, and a dark chocolate finish.
The 15 Year Old Manzanilla Edition gets a full finish in Manzanilla Sherry butts, a lighter and fresher style than Oloroso. Manzanilla is a take on Jerez's Fino Sherry that thrives in a coastal climate. The brand's official notes cite a nose of citrus peels, blanched almond and freshly baked bread. The palate brings lemon marmalade, mandarin and almond brittle, and the finish offers nectarine, toffee and vanilla pod.
Both bottles are 46% ABV with natural color and non-chill filtration. That means no coloring was added, and the whisky wasn't chilled to strip out haze-causing compounds, which can leave a little more texture in the glass. The packaging keeps Jura's distinctive bottle shape and adds hints of Andalusian mosaic tiles, along with foiling and embossing.
The Story of Jura
Jura is an island single malt distillery in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. The island is about seven miles wide and thirty miles long, and getting there takes a ferry to Islay followed by a second, smaller ferry across. The inhabitants are known as Diurachs, their Gaelic name.
The distillery is operated by Whyte & Mackay, which is owned by Philippines-based Alliance Global.
These releases follow a mission Jura launched last year to make whisky more accessible through clear age statements and straightforward tasting notes. Both new bottles fit that approach: the age is on the label, and the brand's notes are written in everyday flavor terms.
Why It Stands Out
The pair is a neat side-by-side study in Sherry styles. One leans on dried fruit, prune and dark chocolate, while the other points to citrus, almond and bakery notes. The prices are also approachable for age-stated, non-chill filtered single malts at 46%. If you want to see how much the Sherry style changes a whisky, this is an easy way to find out.
The Details
Style: Island single malt Scotch whisky, Sherry cask finished
Age: 12 Years (Oloroso Edition); 15 Years (Manzanilla Edition)
ABV/Proof: 46% ABV for both, natural color, non-chill filtered
Cask/Finish: Ex-bourbon American oak, then American and European oak Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (12); ex-bourbon American oak, then Manzanilla Sherry butts (15)
Price (SRP): £50 ($67) for the 12 Year Old; £65 ($87) for the 15 Year Old
Availability: Specialist whisky shops and online across the UK and mainland Europe
Tonights Poison Take
Two Sherry styles, two age statements and two clear price points make this an easy range to understand. The Manzanilla is the more unusual of the pair, since a fresh, coastal Sherry finish is a different proposition from the usual dark, heavy Sherry profile. The sources only mention the UK and mainland Europe for now, so US fans may be waiting.
Bar Talk: Jura's new 15 year old is finished in Manzanilla Sherry casks, and the lead blender suggests drinking it with oysters.
Send this to the Sherry cask fan who is ready to try something lighter than Oloroso.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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