Jura distillery is a seeming cat of a distillery, founded in 1810 and possessed of nine lives, or at least a timeline of eight owners. The last major rebuild of the distillery was in 1963, from whence it has been producing a variety of single malts. The island of Jura is very difficult to reach, with the distillery being one of the few actual businesses on it (one road, one pub, one distillery). With approximately 200 Diurachs – the Gaelic name for the inhabitants – living on the island, most everyone there knows someone who works at Jura. In 2018, the complete core line of Jura was retired as the distillery decided to move in a new flavor direction. The Jura 10 is the cornerstone of that relaunch, aging in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished for an undisclosed time in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood
The Balvenie distillery is located in Dufftown near the old Balvenie Castle. In operation since 1886 by William Grant and has continued in family ownership since then. Beyond having a very wide range of offerings (14 standard, plus more in specialized markets), Balvenie currently has one of the busiest and slickest websites we’ve found yet. In other words, there is a lot going on at this place. Little wonder, too, as the distillery has collected awards and medals for many of its offerings since the turn of the millennium. The Doublewood has been an early club favorite and is often used when we’re introducing people to whisky.