Last Night's Tipple

Sometimes you'll find all Scotches distilled on one of the many islands off the coast of Scotland referred to as Island Scotches. This seems like a logical classification at first blush, but it really isn't. The implication is that these Scotches share common traits like the Islay Scotches do, or even that these Scotches are baby brothers to the Islay Scotches. This isn't the case. Talisker, from the Isle of Skye, is known for its intense peatiness; and Highland Park, from the Orkney Islands, has a distinctive smokiness. But others, like Arran (from the Isle of Arran) and Scapa (from the Orkney Islands) have more in common with their Highlands or Speyside brethren than they do with Islay Scotches.

So it was with the Isle of Jura Scotches, which were all unpeated, until Superstition came along. Perhaps because they were trying to capitalize on the recent fashionability of Islay Scotches, or perhaps they were just curious about how it would turn out, the Isle of Jura Distillery decided to produce a peated Scotch, which they named Superstition. It's smoky and peaty and briny, all right. For some reason, to me, it just doesn't work. Where a Laphroaig or a Caol Ila has its peatiness integrated into the structure of the whisky, it tastes like it's just sitting on top of the Scotch, if that makes any sense. I don't like this whisky very much, and I will be glad when the bottle is gone.