Need help identifying a smell on the nose

[GDR3k]

Hello all, bit stuck to be honest, I purchased bruichladdich rocks today and when nosing it, it was the same as jura superstition, to which I found most unpleasant, I'm trying to pinpoint what sort of note is so I don't buy a whisky with it in in the future, best I can say is it is like sour grapes or some sort of fruit, maybe sour apple? brine/salty sea water?

On the palate its lovely, however I'm not keen on the nose, sort of puts me off, but for £20 you can't argue.

Well heres my tasting notes as I've got a glass here before I head out.

on the nose I'm getting brine, sea salt and a bitter sort of sweetness, if that makes sense. palate is fruity, sweet, and now I'm getting some buscuit, finish I'm getting an afternote of lingering smoke similar to HP 12.

Strange one.



Thanks

[Blackadder]

The Bruichladdich Rocks was finished in red wine casks so i would guess you are picking up something on the nose from the red wine casks which you find unpleasent

[Alastair]

I suspect you may be detecting an off note from the red wine finish. I found the Bruichladdich Rocks ok but not one i would buy again. If i was to rate it i would say 75/100

[GDR3k]

Wat casks are jura superstition matured in? as they both have the unpleasent note.

[William]

Hi GDR3k

I am not sure what casks the Jura Superstition is matured in but i would guess it is a combination of various casks brought together by Juras master blender to create what we know as Jura Superstition. The very nature of single malt whisky means no 2 batches are absolutely 100% identical but if the master blender does his job right then most of us wont be able to tell the differece between batches.

I can usually detect the slightest sherry note on the nose of the Jura Superstition which i dont get when tasting so i would suspect there is a small amount of whisky in there which came from a sherry cask. Perhaps the unpleasant note you detect on the nose is sulphur which could have come from a dodgy sherry cask that has sneaked into the vatting. It is also possible that it is a touch of sulphur which you detect on the nose of the Bruichladdich Rocks.

Sulphur is a strange note in whisky, some drinkers seem to detect it more easily than others and some hate it and some quite like it, to me it is an off note which does put me off the whisky.
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

[Samson]

If it is a sulphur note it can appear in any sherry/wine influenced whisky so it is unpredictable but less common these days. Totally agree with your note about the Jura "lingering smoke similar to HP 12" which to me is a very good note.

[GDR3k]

After leaving the Rocks to sit for around 10 minutes or so, the harsh note dissapears and I can fully smell what seems like red wine or port.