Jura

Jura distillery stands in Craighouse, the only village on the Isle of Jura, just across the sound from Islay. A distillery was recorded here in the early 19th century, but the current one was rebuilt in the 1960s, when local landowners revived whisky making to bring work back to the island. It is now owned by Whyte & Mackay.

The stills are among the tallest in Scotland, which encourages a light, clean spirit. Most of the production is unpeated, with a smaller share of peated spirit, so Jura sits apart from its smoky Islay neighbours. Official releases lean on sherry and other wine casks for sweetness and fruit.

In the official range buyers meet the Jura 12 Year Old and 15 Year Old Sherry Cask, older expressions such as the Jura 21 Year Old, and finishes such as the French Cognac Cask.

Jura is also widely bottled by independent bottlers. Hunter Laing offers it in its Old Malt Cask and First Editions single cask series, Signatory has cask strength releases, and smaller bottlers such as Thompson Bros pick their own casks. These bottlings show the spirit at different ages and strengths, often without the sherry influence of the official range.