My first thought was: Is there a Brooklyn in Scotland? If there is, it's not the reference here. We're talking Brooklyn, New York, as in the fashionable home of craft breweries, artisan cheese and chocolate shops, and baby-stroller gridlock. Jura, the single-malt distillery on the rugged Scottish island of the same name – boasting a population of about 200 – came up with an odd idea. Why not tap into the trendy scene of New York's big and diverse borough by creating a Scottish single malt with the help of local tastemakers?
Master distiller Willie Tait ventured across the Atlantic with samples from six casks, sitting down with representatives from several businesses in the trendy neighbourhoods of Williamsburg, Park Slope and beyond, including Brooklyn Brewery, Bedford Cheese Shop, Fine & Raw Chocolate and Brooklyn Magazine.
The result is this terrific elixir, aged in a variety of casks that once held American bourbon, Spanish sherry and pinot noir wine. Rich and mellow, it's thick with suggestions of caramel, fruit, dark chocolate, toasted nuts and honey, and infused with heady smoke. Bottled at 42-per-cent alcohol, it shows great complexity and balance in a robust, chewy package. Available in small quantities in Ontario.