History of Jura Distillery
Though it dates back to the early 19th century, the appearance and significant history of Jura distillery both originate in the 1960s when it was brought back from the dead. The only distillery on the Isle of Jura, which looks across the water at the more famous Islay, Jura was founded in 1810. It was licenced to Archibald Campbell, the island’s owner, as Small Isles Distillery in Craighouse, the main town on the island.
The Pattison crash of the late 19th century crushed the whisky market in Scotland, and Jura was one of many to lose out. The cards were stacked against it considering the isolation of Jura, with just a few hundred island residents and no direct transport to the mainland. The distillery shut down in 1901, and was dismantled altogether by Ferguson & Sons.
It stayed shut for six decades until bought by Charles Mackinlay & Co, who completely rebuilt and expanded the distillery into its current configuration. Scottish & Newcastle Breweries took over Mackinlay & Co that same year.
In 1985 Invergordon Distillers bought Jura off of Scottish & Newcastle, and were the owners until 1993 when they were taken over by Whyte & Mackay. The current parent company is Emperador Inc, which became the owner when United Spirits sold them Whyte & MacKay in 2014.
The four stills at Jura stand at 7.7m tall, making them the second tallest in Scotland. The distillery is also equipped with a 5 ton mash tun and six stainless steel washbacks. This gives the distillery a production capacity of 2.4 million litres a year. Water for the distillery originates in the Paps of Jura mountains before flowing down to Market Loch where it is drawn.
The core bottlings at Jura are the 10, 12, 18, and Tide 21 year old, along with the Jura Journey and Jura Seven Wood. The 12 year old is aged in ex-Bourbon barrels before an Oloroso Sherry finish. It has aromas of citrus, nuts, and chocolate. On the tongue more tropical fruit presents, along with sugar and a light smoke, The Jura Seven Wood has absorbed a complex array of flavours from oak casks of first fill ex-Bourbon, Limousin, Troncais, Allier, Vosges, Jupilles, and Les Bertranges.
Joining the core range are a number of Rare and Limited Editions including 1988 and 1989 Vintages, the 28 year old, and the Two-One-Two. 13 years old and with a Chinkapin Oak finish, the Two-One-Two has been bottled at 47.5% ABV for a kick above the normal grade.
