Jura

The Jura Distillery, located on the sparsely populated southern Hebridean island of Jura, boasts a rich distilling heritage dating back to the 18th century. Islanders once crafted spirits from rowan berries and used them to acidulate whisky punch. While illicit distillation was prevalent, a legal distillery named Craighouse, licensed to the island's owner Archibald Campbell, existed in the settlement in 1810. Throughout its history, the distillery underwent several name changes, including Craighouse, Small Isles, Caol nan Eilean, and Jura, while passing through various ownerships without gaining significant fame. It closed in 1901 during whisky's first major sales decline due to the challenges of operating a remote island distillery without direct mainland transport.

However, in 1963, landowners Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith, with financial support from Charles Mackinlay & Co, embarked on reviving whisky production on Jura to prevent further population decline. They enlisted renowned designer William Delme-Evans to construct a modern distillery, which was later expanded in 1978. In 1985, Invergordon Distillers acquired Mackinlay, and the companies eventually merged into Whyte & Mackay.

Inside the distillery, Jura maintains a classic 1960s setup with spacious rooms, a semi-lauter tun, stainless steel washbacks, and tall stills with a capacity exceeding 20,000 liters. This unique setup requires time or active casks to fully reveal the whisky's flavor potential. While the island is abundant in peat, Jura initially focused on producing light whisky due to market demand when it was established in the 1960s. However, peated malt production began in the late 1990s, adding a subtle smokiness to some expressions, and further enhancing the distillery's versatility and innovation.