🥃 Isle of Jura
Single malt whisky from Craighouse on the Isle of Jura; distillery rebuilt 1960–1963; tall stills give a light style; owner Whyte & Mackay.
Isle of Jura is a distillery and brand of single malt Scotch whisky in the village of Craighouse on the Isle of Jura, in the Inner Hebrides. The island lies near Islay, and its name is interpreted from Norse as 'island of deer'. The present distillery was built in 1960–1963, and the brand is produced by Whyte & Mackay.
History. The first distillery on the island is dated to 1810; in 1831 it was registered in the name of William Abercrombie. It later declined: according to Whisky-news it became a ruin, and according to Difford's Guide it was dismantled in 1901. In 1960–1963 Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith, in partnership with Charles Mackinlay & Company, built a new one; the first spirit, according to Whisky-news, ran on 26 April 1963. In 1993 Whyte & Mackay bought the distillery.
How it is made. The stills on Jura are tall, more than 24 feet, so the whisky comes out light, closer to the Highland style than to the peaty whiskies of Islay. There are two wash stills and two spirit stills. According to Difford's Guide, the distillery itself is usually not open to visitors.
Range. It includes a 10-year-old Origin, a 16-year-old, a 20-year-old One and All, Superstition and the peated Prophecy. There are also vintage releases and a 30-year-old Standing Stone.
Why it matters to you. The island has around 200 residents and more than 5,000 deer, but the whisky is not always peated. Peated variants such as Prophecy are marked separately, so read the name of the version. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1810 (first distillery), registered 1831; closed 1901; new one 1960–1963 (Craighouse, Isle of Jura) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | malted barley; water |
| Distillation method | twice, copper stills 24.75 ft tall, 2 + 2 |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; versions from 10 to 30 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Isle of Jura → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Island whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky, 🥃 Ardbeg, 🥃 Glenfarclas, 🥃 Glenfarclas, 🥃 The GlenDronach, 🥃 The GlenDronach, 🥃 Fettercairn, 🥃 Tamnavulin
Frequently asked questions
Is Jura a peaty whisky like the ones from Islay?
Not always. The core releases are light, closer to the Highland style; the peated version, such as Prophecy, is labelled separately.
What does the name Jura mean?
It is interpreted from Norse as 'island of deer'; the island has more than 5,000 deer and about 200 residents.
When was the current distillery built?
Between 1960 and 1963, on the site of the old one; the first spirit ran on 26 April 1963.
Who owns Isle of Jura?
Whyte & Mackay, which bought the distillery in 1993 as part of Invergordon Distillers. The parent structures of Whyte & Mackay have changed, so check current details.
What are the main Isle of Jura expressions?
The 10-year-old Origin, the 16-year-old, the 20-year-old One and All, Superstition and Prophecy.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Abhainn Dearg · 🥃 Port Ellen · 🥃 Glengyle · 🥃 Glenglassaugh · 🥃 Glen Moray · 🥃 Knockdhu
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Difford's Guide: Isle of Jura Distillery, History (1810, closed 1901, rebuilt 1960-1963, 24.75 ft stills, light malt, range)
- Whisky-news.com: Distillery in Focus, Isle of Jura (1810, William Abercrombie 1831, rebuilt 1960-1963, first spirit 26.04.1963, Whyte & Mackay)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)