Isle of Jura Blog » whisky

Islay and Jura Distillery Tour Times 2010

Ron — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:22:50 +0000

The new Distillery Tour Times Leaflet for 2010 is available for download. The leaflet consists of two pages and provides information about the Jura and Islay Malt Whisky distilleries opening hours, the tour times, phone and fax numbers, email addresses and other important information. It is therefore essential to take a copy with you when you visit Islay and/or Jura. This leaflet is also available in the Tourist Information office and other places. Some distilleries have changed, read prolonged, their opening times to meet the demands of the visitors. Another interesting detail is the specialised tour offered by most distilleries. I think it was Bowmore that started the Craftsman’s tour and most distilleries now offer similar specialised/premium/VIP extended distillery tours, a must for the real enthusiast!

To download the distillery leaflet right click with your mouse on the image and select save target as… to save the guide on your local hard drive. To view the distillery leaflet directly click on the image and it will be opened in your browser window from where you can save a copy too.

Jura Distillery Launch: Jura Paps Single Malt collection

Ron — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:27:17 +0000

A limited edition of 1,300 bottles inspired by the famous Paps of Jura will be launched by one of the world’s top barmen from The Ritz in Paris. The launch of this very special Jura Paps edition will take place during the Islay Whisky Festival which includes the Jura Distillery as well. At the moment of writing I have no specific details but I guess the launch will most likely take place on Thursday 28 May at Jura Distillery open day. A quote from the Scotsman:

The highly covetable collection of three 15-year-old single malts have been named after one of the most distinctive and mystical mountain ranges on the beautiful Scottish west coast Isle of Jura. Colin said: “I’m very proud to be asked to launch the Jura Paps collection. Not only are they a whisky connoisseur’s delight, but they also celebrate and embody the character of what seems to be one of the most iconic landmarks on the island. Willie Tait, global brand ambassador for Jura, said: “The Paps of Jura are truly a fundamental and integral part of the character of Jura with legends unique to the mountains. “There has been many a dram fuelled discussion about the witch of Jura causing the deep glacial scar that runs down one fell. And many debate whether it’s true that the Paps are the burial chambers of giant Norse warriors. “But where there is no argument is that the Paps of Jura are truly majestic and iconic, and that’s what I have done with the whisky collection with the same name.” The gift-boxed limited edition whisky, which contains a fold-out Pap shaped leaflet, is expected to retail at £100 each, or £300 for the full set.

Willie Tait on Whisky Cast

Ron — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:06:19 +0000

I found an interesting interview with Willie Tait who was both manager of Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay in 1999 and the Isle of Jura Distillery. Willie Tait’s involvement with the Isle of Jura brand began in 1975 when he was first hired as a “Tunroom Man” at the remote Hebridean distillery. He was involved in 1975 with the introduction of the distillery’s first Single Malt an 8-year-old expression. In 1985, Willie Tait was named Distillery Manager for the operation off the western coast of Scotland. He stayed in that role until 1999 when he was appointed Distillery Manager at Highland malt distillery Fettercairn. The Interview is available as podcast (MP3 file) which can be downloaded from Whisky Cast. A quote from Whiskycast:

Willie Tait has been a fixture at Whyte and Mackay for 34 years, and is most known for his work at Isle of Jura Distillery. He’s the third of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners at the Malt Advocate Magazine Awards, and shares some of his stories with us in this episode… including how he and his family wound up on Jura in the first place.