Jura Bourbon Cask Review: Creamy Toffee With Apricot

Jura isn’t just the island where George Orwell wrote part of his world-famous novel 1984. It’s also home to a celebrated distillery, and now the birthplace of a new whisky. Welcome to the Jura Bourbon Cask Review.

Jura Bourbon Cask is the latest release from Jura, part of the brand’s Signature Collection. This series features six single malt whiskies, each with its own flavor profile and price point. The most affordable, and most approachable, is the Jura Bourbon Cask, a whisky made for the many.

Jura was founded in 1810. The island is home to just over two hundred people- tiny, in other words. It’s often said that everyone contributes to the whisky, directly or indirectly. The Jura distillery houses one of the largest stills in Scotland, producing a new make spirit that’s naturally light in character, with citrus and pine notes.

Holding a whisky is a bit like holding a book. You can almost feel the passion and time poured into it before you even begin to enjoy it yourself. The Jura Bourbon Cask comes with a budget-friendly price tag of under thirty euros. While at first glance you might assume the packaging feels a bit cheap, that’s definitely not the case. There’s a handsome embossed texture that continues inside, and the packaging is recyclable, great for the environment. The box earns unexpected points.

It’s not a highly exclusive, fancy presentation, and it quickly becomes clear it’s designed to appeal to a broad audience. The packaging notes the distillery’s founding year, 1810, a lovely detail. The back is more interesting than the front, featuring a map of Jura and extra information about the island, like the fact that just over two hundred people live there. It also states the whisky matured in American white oak bourbon casks. Once you take the bottle out of the tin, you’re met with a solid, dependable bottle emblazoned with Jura. A classic, no-frills design.

The moment you nose this whisky, it’s as if you’re stepping straight into summer. You’ll be tempted to book a ticket to Curaçao on the spot. That’s thanks to the sweetness that greets you in both aroma and flavor. On the palate you’ll find vanilla and coconut, with touches of cocoa and toffee. The cask influence speaks loud and clear. The first sip is sweet, and the whisky goes down almost like cordial.

Jura Bourbon Cask is the perfect whisky to pour for newcomers, ideal even for those who’ve never tasted whisky before. It’s highly approachable and works well in a whisky cocktail. It just isn’t very complex or rewarding for seasoned whisky drinkers. There’s simply not enough going on, and the finish is barely there.

You can compare this whisky to a Fast & Furious movie: built for the masses, you know exactly what you’re getting, but there’s not a lot of depth. Is that a problem? Not at all. Think of it as a whisky you can confidently pour for someone who’s still finding their footing. It’s a great gift for a student, or something to keep on hand if you’re mixing cocktails this season. Lovely if you like sweet whiskies and aren’t expecting bells and whistles.

+ Great whisky for an evening with friends who aren’t whisky experts

+ Works nicely in a cocktail

+ Gentle on the wallet

- Not suited to whisky veterans