PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Jura is a remote island in the Inner Hebrides, one road and a single distillery, where whisky has been made since 1810 and where the current distillery was founded in 1963. The distillery is known for something unusual: it makes mostly unpeated spirit, but for a few weeks each year it makes a heavily peated style, and today’s Jura expressions are blends of the two, resulting in what K&L describes as “a light to moderate peated whisky that has a remarkable amount of depth and complexity to accompany its bracing salinity.” The tall, 28-foot stills give a clean, delicate spirit.
The 12 Year Old is the core of the range. It spends its full 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, building honey, vanilla, and orchard fruit, then finishes in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez, Spain, adding dried fruit, spice, and a richer, darker tone. It’s bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). Jura’s own description: “This is Jura at its most intense and muscular, yet it remains an approachable whisky that makes the perfect accompaniment to a gathering. Bourbon cask maturation and an aged Oloroso sherry finish produce a honeyed sweetness that offers notes of warm spice, banana, soft citrus and a finish of freshly ground coffee and dark chocolate.”
The color is golden; the nose is “dark chocolate, honey, walnut and soft citrus”; the taste is “coffee, salted bananas, licorice, brown sugar.” Retailers add “heather honey, vanilla, ginger, rich plum, sultana, citrus, caramel, and soft coastal air,” and a salted caramel finish. Whisky Advocate’s Julia Higgins reviewed it in Fall 2026: “On the nose, lofty stone fruit pops out, with juicy apricot mingling with raspberry jam and cinnamon stick. The palate is light, yet packs a peppery punch with notable citrus peel, chocolate syrup, and hazelnut. The finish comes and goes rather swiftly, but a kick of spice, chocolate, and more stone fruit are welcome flavors.” The Whiskey Wash described a nose of “raisins, orange marmalade and soft toffee,” a palate with “warming spice and a touch of cocoa,” and concluded that “this is one of the most complete whiskies in Jura’s core range”: “the oloroso casks don’t attempt to transform the distillery character. Instead, they build on it, adding richness, texture and maturity.” Jura 12 also won a Double Gold at the SIP Awards, per a retailer.
For balance, it’s a light-bodied whisky at 40%, and as Whisky Advocate notes, the finish is short. That makes it a good everyday sipper and an accessible introduction to island malts for customers wary of heavy peat. Enjoy it neat, over ice, or in a Highball or Old Fashioned.
Isle of Jura 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced at Jura Distillery on the Isle of Jura, Scotland (Whyte & Mackay), from a blend of unpeated and heavily peated spirit distilled in 28-foot stills, aged 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez. 40% ABV / 80 proof, 750ml.
Julia Higgins, Whisky Advocate (Fall 2026; score not shown):
“On the nose, lofty stone fruit pops out, with juicy apricot mingling with raspberry jam and cinnamon stick. The palate is light, yet packs a peppery punch with notable citrus peel, chocolate syrup, and hazelnut. The finish comes and goes rather swiftly, but a kick of spice, chocolate, and more stone fruit are welcome flavors.”
The Whiskey Wash (2026):
“This is one of the most complete whiskies in Jura’s core range. The oloroso casks don’t attempt to transform the distillery character. Instead, they build on it, adding richness, texture and maturity while retaining the approachable style that has always defined Jura.”
Double Gold — SIP Awards (per a retailer)
Jura (tasting notes):
“Colour: Golden-hued. Nose: Dark chocolate, honey, walnut and soft citrus. Taste: Coffee, salted bananas, licorice, brown sugar.”
Nose
Golden. Dark chocolate, honey, walnut, and soft citrus, with stone fruit, raspberry jam, and cinnamon.
Palate
Light-to-medium-bodied, with coffee, salted banana, licorice, brown sugar, citrus peel, chocolate syrup, hazelnut, and a whisper of smoke.
Finish
Short to medium, with warm spice, freshly ground coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of salt.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Oloroso Sherry Finished |
| ABV / Proof | 40% ABV / 80 Proof |
| Age | 12 Years |
| Casks | American white oak ex-bourbon; finished in Oloroso sherry casks (Jerez) |
| Spirit | Blend of unpeated and heavily peated; light-to-moderate peat |
| Distillery | Jura — Isle of Jura, Scotland (Whyte & Mackay) |
| Critics | Whisky Advocate reviewed (Fall 2026); Double Gold, SIP Awards (retailer-listed) |
| Style / Identity | A soft, honeyed, chocolatey island malt with a gentle sherry finish |
| Aromas & Flavors | Honey, dark chocolate, walnut, salted banana, brown sugar, citrus, gentle smoke |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Enjoy neat, over ice, or in a Highball.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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