Scotland, Isle of Jura. Distillery operational. Owner: Whyte & MackayFounded in 1810, it was not until the early 1960s, under the aegis of MacKinlay MacPherson Ltd that the Isle of Jura distillery became a true player in its own right in the Scotch whisky industry. Despite its geographical proximity to Islay, like Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich, it produces an unpeated malt, destined for use in the group's blends, MacKinlay's, Cluny and Whyte & Mackay. Nonetheless, in the early 1970s, its owners equipped it with an 8 year old version in a violin-shaped bottle that would go on to become its trademark. It was not until Whyte & Mackay Ltd bought it in the mid-90s that its range would be enriched with older bottlings, notably in the Stillman's Dram range, such as Jura 27 Year Old, Jura 30 Year Old and a 10 Year Old Cask Strength. It was, however, only really in 2010, 200 years after it was founded, that the distillery revealed its true potential with outstanding 30, 36 and 40 year old versions, as well as numerous vintage bottlings, including 1974 and 1975.

A Jura 10 Year Old decanter from the 1990s. The decanter is modelled on the shape of Jura’’s stills, which boast an impressive size (7.7 metres) and capacity (20,000 litres). Reopening in the 1960s, in the height of the whisky boom, the distillery was designed to produce large quantities of whisky and was therefore equipped with high-volume stills.