What We Know About the Mysterious Whiskey That Took Home the Highest Honor at a Major Competition

The label for Bardstown Bourbon Company’s “Lochs of Jura,” via the TTB.

When the International Wine & Spirits Competition released its North American results last week, one winner stood above the rest — a 99-point whiskey from Bardstown Bourbon Company called “Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 YO.” It was the top score among only five spirits to achieve Gold Outstanding status, the competition’s top tier reached by just 1.3% of entrants. Interestingly, nobody knew what “Lochs of Jura” was. The whiskey hadn’t, and still hasn’t been announced or released.

We did our best to dig up everything we could about this award-winning yet unknown whiskey.

Everything We Know About Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Lochs of Jura

Despite the IWSC calling it a bourbon, Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Lochs of Jura is not a bourbon, but a blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys, meaning it cannot legally be referred to as a bourbon.

Labels filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau reveal a three-component blend of aged straight whiskeys:

• 49%: 11-year Indiana bourbon distilled from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley
• 30%: 10-year Indiana rye whiskey distilled from 95% rye and 5% malted barley
• 21%: 12-year Kentucky bourbon distilled from 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley

The Indiana components almost certainly came from Ross & Squibb (still more commonly called by its former name, MGP Ingredients), one of the most dominant sources of American whiskey.

The blend was bottled at 52% ABV by Bardstown Bourbon Company.

The Scotch Barrel Finish

We also know from the labels filed with the TTB that the blend was finished in single malt scotch whisky barrels for 32 months. The name “Lochs of Jura” almost certainly points to Jura Distillery — the only whisky producer on the Isle of Jura — but we don’t have official confirmation of that.

If it is Jura, the casks were most likely used to age unpeated scotch, so don’t expect the gritty, smoky influence of peat.

The scotch casks used were ex-bourbon and ex-sherry.

Lochs of Jura is coming as part of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s annual limited-time offerings and will be available nationwide, a source from the brand’s parent company, Lofted Spirits, confirmed to The Daily Pour. No price or release date has been announced.

“To be named the Best in the World, let alone the near perfect 99-point score that got us there, is a tremendous testament to the talents of our entire innovation team,” Dan Callaway, master blender and VP of product development at Lofted Spirits, told The Daily Pour. “It’s amazing to see how bourbon, rye, malt, and sherry flavors can come together for a truly unique profile, while maintaining delicate and intentional balance. We’re glad the judges agree and we can’t wait to share this beautiful whiskey with the world soon.”