Jura 'Origin' 10 yr old 40%

This is the entry level Jura. The nose is oily and underwhelming— just a hint of peat/smoke. Mouth gives lots of over-cloying sweetness. The finish redeems this malt a little, lots of honey. Not unpleasant, but not great.

Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 2, 50.6%

Nose: Sherry, dried fruits. Is this going to be just another sherry monster?
Mouth: No! Orange and honey, and plenty of them. And lots more besides. Christmassy flavours. Fills the mouth.
Finish: Reverberates around the mouth and sinuses- long, warming, honeyed finish without being at all sickly or cloying. Incredibly more-ish.

The combination of accessible easy-drinking sweetness and well-integrated complexity demands constant sipping. It's the mouth and finish that makes this special. Some malts you can contentedly nose all evening, but not this one... you need to drink it, and keep drinking it.

Which is a shame, because this is another extremely good malt that's sadly way outside my price range.

Aberlour 10 yr old 40%

Tried this several times before in different contexts— indeed I'm sure I've had a bottle in my collection at various times— and always considered the entry level Aberlour a safe-but-boring option. Sherried, sweet, but a bit simple.

Actually on this tasting (one of the miniatures) I think it's better than that. No idea whether this represents my better honed palate, or an improvement in recent bottlings, but... it's not just sherry and sugar, there are spices and honey there too and a smoother, more complex finish than I remember. 

So: very pleasant. Also cheap and widely available.

Lochside 1981 The Whisky Exchange 57.5% (bottled 2010?)

One of A's collection- thanks again!

Restrained colour, tons of sherry on the nose, but a much more balanced mouth (if a little overpowering at first): the sherry is nicely countered with mixed fruits and honey. Lovely smooth and long finish.

Very nice.