The promise that Isle of Jura’s Prophecy will be “profoundly peated” is a bit of a stretch, especially compared to the famously peaty whiskies produced just across a narrow sound on the neighboring, more-populous Islay.
Yet, the subdued peat smoke flavor in Jura Prophecy – at least on the palate – becomes its strength, allowing for other earthy, spicy and sweet flavors to meld together with a complexity that a stronger peat presence wouldn’t allow.
Jura Prophecy is the heavier, peatier of Isle of Jura’s four mainstay whiskies, which also include Superstition, Origin 10-year-old, and Diurach’s Own 16-year-old – all named to connect the distillery with a mystic, superstitious piece of the island’s past.
In keeping with that theme, Jura Prophecy, emblazoned with hieroglyph-inspired eye, is named for the 18th century story of an old seer who, as she was being evicted from her home by the Campbells that dominated Jura at the time, foretold that the final Campbell on the island would have one eye and carry all of his possessions in a cart drawn by a white horse. That “prophecy” supposedly came true in 1938, when Charles Campbell, blinded in one eye during World War I, supposedly fell on hard times and had to leave the island in the state predicted by the seer.
Unfortunately, Jura gives much more detail on this legend that it does on what went into making the whisky. Jura Prophecy is crafted from some of the “finest and rarest aged Jura” whiskies, and non-chilled filtered in order to “deliver an authentic taste of 1938,” the box states. It is aged for a non-specific period of time in bourbon, sherry and Limousin casks.
The final product comes in Jura’s elegantly simple, 750-milliliter bottle, is 46 percent alcohol by volume.
Tasting Notes: Jura Prophecy
Vital Stats: Blend of Jura whiskies, non-chilled filtered to give a traditional flavor, 46 percent alcohol by volume, sold in a 750-milliliter bottle that runs between $50 and $80.
Appearance: Amber with a reddish hue.
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Nose: “Profoundly peated” is a great descriptor for the first whiff, bringing in a wave of salty peat smoke into the nasal passages. That aroma gradually gives a little ground for earthy notes of tar, anise and licorice.
Palate: Saunters on to the tongue like sweet vanilla syrup, accompanied by a peat smoke flavor that is much more subdued than in nose, balancing out the sweetness rather than overpowering it. The peat smoke grows bolder and spicier after a moment, expanding to include notes of cinnamon, licorice and nutmeg. Swallowing leaves a coating mild, sweet peat flavor on the tongue, with a slight burn at the corners and top of the mouth.
Final Thoughts & Score/Buy A Bottle:
Score: 89/100
While I don’t normally crave a tipple of peated whisky after a long day, I’d make an exception for Jura Prophecy. Rather than either a barrage or a whisper of peat, Jura Prophecy has a complex blend of peat smoke along with other sweet, spicy and earthy flavors that leave me wanting more. Those who want a very peaty dram may find Prophecy oversold itself as “heavily peated,” but I find it’s just the right amount.
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