Today I will implement the ancient wisdom of trying before buying. Two bottles on the German market have caught my attention recently, and I’ve contemplated a buy but thought I could maybe wait for a sale before I took the chance. Then I found both in 5cl tasting samples, so I ordered them (along with 19 additional samples…). The first is a Jura, under the right conditions a favourite distillery of mine, but it can also miss the mark completely (especially the official releases). The second is a Croftengea, once a favourite distillery, but a few bottles into my explorations of this distillery I hit some less impressive bottles and got turned off. The one I discovered here seems to promise a lot of tropical fruit, which is just my sort of thing.
Tasting objectives
• Find out if my hunches about the quality of these bottlings was correct
• Decide on if I want to buy bottles
Jura “Sanctum of the Deer” | 13yo | 54.0% | Brave New Spirits
5cl sample review
⚡Experience
The nose is confectionary, floral, and woodsy: cola, forest honey, wax, mild soap, cedar, resin, and cream with fresh berries. Palate: salty, sweet, savoury, and mouth coating. Somewhat peppery, and the alcohol is a tad too strong neat, so better add some water. Lots of toffee, strawberry jam, oak spices, and nuts, and I’m getting a little of the signature walnut and tobacco notes I so enjoy with older Juras. Dry sherry finish.
💡Thoughts
I love the nose, it’s very fragrant and interesting. It’s tasty and flavourful too. Will I buy it? At €90 it’s on the pricy side, but not totally unreasonable. But given the amazing (and, to be fair, much more expensive) Juras I already have, I don’t feel this is what my collections needs at the moment.
Rewarding
✔️
Croftengea (Loch Lomond) | 16yo (2006) | 47.8% | Alambic Classique
5cl sample review
⚡Experience
Fruity, sooty, and chalky: amber-coloured apple juice, grilled pineapple, smoky bacon, lemon grass. On the tongue: salty and sweet, funky; grapefruit, tropical fruits, and soft, earthy peat. Dried mulberries and Inca berries in the finish.
💡Thoughts
Very typically Croftengea, with grapefruit, soot, and chalk. It’s a really great version, actually. I’ll keep an eye out and buy!
Rewarding
✔️
Conclusions
The Jura is great, but I don’t think I need to have a bottle of it. The croftengea, is even better, and I’ll watch out for a sale on it, and for €80 I will pounce.
DuckDrams 
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