Jura Seven Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Isle of Jura, Scotland (750ml)   

Notes from Jura: The ability of Jura’s tiny island community to reimagine and reinvent has allowed our distillery to thrive. Such vision has brought to life this complex single malt - a fitting tribute to our Master Blender’s skill. Thanks to the forestry commission, sawmill and cooperage in France, we use the finest virgin French oak casks to enhance our whisky. This unique whisky, which carries no age statement, is “influenced by seven select French and American Oak barrels.” It is initially matured in first-fill American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in six different French Oak casks — Limousin, Tronçais, Allier, Vosges, Jupilles, and Les Bertranges, all wood-producing regions in the country. Of special note, none of these casks have been used as wine casks — though it’s unclear what exactly they have been used for before ending up at Jura. Aromas of new lumber, roasted meat, allspice, and savory herbs are exotic but can be a bit daunting, muscling out the more approachable, sweeter aromas one might otherwise expect. The palate has a bit of sweetness at first, but with even a little time in glass this tends to dissipate. As it develops, the palate takes on a leathery, mushroom note, with flavors of hemp seed, bacon, and more toasty wood notes backing that up. Quite drying, it finishes on a spicy note that recalls allspice and layers in cloves and nutmeg.