„Made by a Scottish Island Community“

[Advertorial] A remote island off the west coast of Scotland, with fewer than 250 inhabitants and thousands of red deer: the home of Jura Single Malt is extraordinary – and continues to shape the character of the brand to this day. Since its reopening in 1963, the Jura Distillery has been closely linked to the island community. At the same time, it is constantly developing its whiskies and its portfolio. Most recently, Jura has not only given its packaging a new look, but has also announced new releases.

In this interview, we spoke to Andrew Lennie, Global Single Malt Specialist at Whyte & Mackay, about the brand and its products, the bond between the distillery and the island community, and the collaboration with distribution partner Mack & Schühle.

Please introduce yourself first: Who are you, what role do you hold at Whyte & Mackay / Jura, and what are your main responsibilities?

Andrew Lennie: My name is Andrew Lennie and I am the Global Single Malt Specialist at Whyte & Mackay. I’m responsible for global advocacy across Jura Single Malt, as well as Fettercairn and Tamnavulin.

A big part of my role is bringing the stories behind these distilleries and their whiskies to life, whether that’s through tastings, education, events or working with our partners around the world.

Jura is not only the name of a whisky, but also that of a small, remote Scottish island. What role does the island of Jura play in the brand’s identity?

Andrew Lennie: As you say, Jura Distillery is situated in one of the most unique locations of any distillery in Scotland. It’s a remote island off the west coast of Scotland, sitting between the mainland and its neighbouring island of Islay. It’s part of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides and the distillery has been here since 1810.

The Isle of Jura has a very distinctive personality.

It looks quite different to Islay, with the landscape dominated by three large hills known as the Paps. Our whisky has its own personality too, and I think it captures something of the spirit of the island.

There are fewer than 250 people living on Jura, but thousands of red deer, which is where the island gets its name from – Jura comes from the Old Norse for “Deer Island”.

For me, that sense of place is really important. Jura isn’t simply a whisky that happens to be made on an island; the island is part of the reason the whisky is what it is.

The distillery’s history dates back to 1810; it reopened in 1963 after a long hiatus. What events and milestones have shaped Jura since then?

Andrew Lennie: When Jura was reopened in 1963 after more than 60 years of closure, one of the primary aims was to bring people and employment back to an island where the population was dwindling.

That community connection is therefore part of the modern story of Jura from the very beginning.

The new distillery was deliberately designed to create a lighter style of spirit, with some of the tallest stills in the industry. Those stills remain integral to the character of Jura today, helping create the fruity, balanced and approachable house style we’re known for.

The distillery was purchased by Whyte & Mackay in 1994, and in 2000 Jura became part of Fèis Ìle, the festival of whisky and music. That has helped strengthen our connection with the wider whisky community.

More recently, we’ve continued to explore what Jura can be while staying true to that underlying character – creating whiskies that reflect the island and, importantly, whiskies that people want to open, share and enjoy together.

How closely are the distillery and the island community linked today?

Andrew Lennie: Extremely closely. The distillery simply wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the resilience of the Jura community, particularly in the 1960s when it was brought back to life.

The distillery is situated in the heart of Craighouse, the largest settlement on the island. It’s a small place, but there’s a real sense of community around it – the pub, hotel, shop, café, photography studio and art gallery are all part of the same little island world.

The distillery receives visitors from all over the world who perhaps initially come for the whisky, but often find the magic in many other parts of the island too – the landscape, the wildlife and, most importantly, the people.

That’s why I think JURA’s description of itself as “Made by a Scottish Island Community” is more than just a line on a website. It genuinely reflects how the distillery fits into life on the island.

Jura describes its house style as fruity and balanced. What does this mean, and what are the key factors in the production process?

Andrew Lennie: If we take a deeper dive into the spirit character of Jura before it is aged, it is very fruit-forward. You find light stone fruits and bright citrus, supported by aromatic and subtle coastal qualities. It’s a very approachable spirit, but there’s also a complexity to it that gives our whisky makers plenty to work with.

The tall stills are a really important part of that character. They encourage a lighter, more delicate spirit, and we want to champion those qualities rather than mask them. From there, the cask becomes another part of the story. We’re looking for casks that complement or enhance those natural characteristics, rather than overpowering them.

That’s what I think we mean when we talk about Jura being fruity and balanced. It isn’t about making a whisky that is simply fruity; it’s about having a spirit with enough character and freshness to allow different influences to work around it.

What roles do the different cask maturations play in this?

Andrew Lennie: We predominantly fill ex-Bourbon American oak barrels initially. Depending on the final balance we’re looking for, those casks might be first fill or refill, depending on how much sweetness, oak influence or spirit character we want as the foundation.

When it comes to finishing casks, we always want to make sure they work with the spirit rather than against it. That’s particularly important with a lighter, fruit-forward spirit like Jura.

Oloroso Sherry casks are a firm favourite of our whisky makers and you’ll find them playing a part in many Jura expressions. The new 12 Year Old Oloroso Edition is a great example of this, with the Oloroso casks bringing notes of prune, caramelised walnut and dried citrus.

For me, that’s the exciting thing about cask maturation at Jura – it’s not about changing the spirit beyond recognition; it’s about seeing how different casks can reveal different sides of it.

How has the portfolio developed in recent years? Which whiskies does it currently comprise, and what sets them apart?

Andrew Lennie: The portfolio has developed quite significantly, but there is a clear thread running through it. We have the core aged expressions, including Jura 12, 14 and 18 Year Old, alongside the Cask Editions, which allow us to explore the impact of different cask types.

Those Cask Editions are a great gateway into the world of single malt for someone starting their whisky journey.

You can take the same underlying Jura character and see how Bourbon or Rum casks can take it in different directions.

We’ve also started to push further into more specialist releases. Perspective No. 01 was the first expression in the Perspectives Series – a 16 Year Old combining American oak ex-Bourbon barrels and ex-Sherry casks, bottled at 46.5% ABV with natural colour and non-chill filtration.

I really like the thinking behind the Perspectives Series. It allows us to take elements of the Jura character and look at them in greater detail. It’s like looking at a beachball. Depending on which way you’re looking at it you’ll find a different colour looking back.

Jura has recently given its packaging a new look, communicating the message: new labels, but the same story and the same whisky. What prompted this relaunch?

Andrew Lennie: The Jura restage gave us an opportunity to make the whole collection feel more coherent, while also putting a greater emphasis on communicating flavour in a way that is easy to find and understand.

For me, the most important thing was breaking down some of the barriers that can exist around whisky.

We want people to have a better idea of what they can expect from the whisky in the bottle, rather than feeling that they need to already be a whisky expert to choose one.

It was also a chance to go back to the DNA of our spirit and ask ourselves: What does this really taste like, and how do the whiskies compare with one another? By understanding the DNA of the collection, we can communicate it more clearly and it also gives us a strong foundation for deciding where we go next.

What are the key changes in the new design?

Andrew Lennie: One of the clearest changes is the tasting device on the back of each pack. It highlights three key flavours associated with each release, giving people a really simple way of understanding the whisky before they open it.

I think that’s particularly useful for someone who may be new to single malt. Rather than having to understand a long list of tasting notes, you can quickly see the flavour profile and decide whether it sounds like something you’d enjoy.

It’s also useful when buying a bottle as a gift. You can choose something based on the flavours you know the person likes, rather than simply choosing an age statement or a bottle because you recognise the name.

The idea is really about making Jura more accessible without dumbing down the whisky. The flavour device is now a consistent part of the packaging, with the three notes linked back to different parts of the whisky-making process.

In Germany, Jura works closely with Mack & Schühle. Why is this a perfect match?

Andrew Lennie: Mack & Schühle have been a joy to work with since they began distributing our whiskies in Germany. The standout thing for me is the sense of teamwork and the genuine passion the team have for what we make and what we do.

That relationship goes beyond simply selling whisky.

They really engage with the story of Jura and understand that the island, the people and the whisky are all connected.

One of my favourite whisky memories was actually being on Jura with some of the Mack & Schühle team. Our Brand Home Manager arranged a game of football – Jura versus Germany. It was very well attended and ended in a 3–3 draw, although because of our beachside location the ball probably spent more time in the sea than it did on the grass!

How is Jura set to develop in the coming years? What plans are there specifically for Germany and in collaboration with Mack & Schühle?

Andrew Lennie: We have a new aged range of whiskies coming very soon – a collection of Sherry-finished whiskies consisting of a 12 Year Old Oloroso Edition and a 15 Year Old Manzanilla Edition.

What I really like about this range is that it gives us the opportunity to champion two different styles of Sherry and show how each of those casks interacts with the same underlying Jura character. They’re all bottled at selected strengths, with natural colour and non-chill filtration.

I think this is a range that our fans in Germany will really enjoy. Germany is a very knowledgeable whisky market, and I think there’s an appetite there for releases that give people something to explore and compare, rather than simply another bottle on the shelf.

For us, it’s about continuing to evolve while keeping the character of Jura at the centre.

Finally: Which Jura whisky do you personally prefer to drink, and why?

Andrew Lennie: As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at the lodge next to Jura Distillery. You can hear the water lapping onto the beach in front of the distillery and, although it’s a moody grey day, the water is flat calm and everything feels incredibly serene. You can actually smell the fermenting wash from the distillery just behind me. It’s probably the best place you could imagine to enjoy a glass of the whisky.

Last night we had guests visiting from Australia. From one island to another, they experienced Jura at its remote and beautiful best. We shared a glass of our new Jura 12 Year Old Oloroso Edition, which is quickly becoming a go-to bottle for me when I’m around a table chatting with friends and reminiscing about the day.

There’s something about that whisky that really suits those occasions. It has enough depth to keep you interested, but it remains incredibly approachable and easy to share.

Ultimately, that’s probably why I enjoy it so much. It’s a bottle you want to open and share, and for me it’s the cherry on top of spending time with friends, new or old.

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+++ We’d like to thank Andrew Lennie for the open and very interesting interview! If you have an interesting brand, we should talk. Just send us an email with the subject line “about-drinks Interview” to redaktion@about-drinks.com – we look forward to hearing from you! +++