THE ISLE OF JURA DISTILLER AND LODGE ARE QUITE UNIQUE
With around 200 people but 5,000 red deer, Jura is a strange and wonderful island. Strange and wonderful things have happened here: George Orwell wrote 1984, living like a hermit in a remote cottage and, in August 1994, best-selling pop duo turned art commentators The K Foundation burned £1m ($1.65m) in U.K. currency in a Jura boatshed. There’s also a distillery and a very special house.
But you have to get here, and that’s harder than it sounds. First you have to get to the neighboring Isle of Islay (by plane or ferry), then drive and take a further short ferry trip to Jura, where you’ll find the island’s one road, the A846.
The Jura Lodge is available for vacation rental—at a price.
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In Britain, an “A” designation indicates a primary trunk road. Presumably the cartographer was joking: It’s eight miles of single-track drama through spectacular scenery, with passing places for the occasional oncoming vehicle. Then you arrive in Craighouse, home to the Isle of Jura Distillery and The Jura Lodge, which is available for vacation rental. It too is strange and wonderful: magnificent and quite unique. Where to start?
Well, let’s get the question of price out of the way. The four bedroom Lodge will sleep eight in some luxury, but will set you back a cool $4,125 per night—with a minimum three night stay! Owners Whyte & Mackay say themselves that the Lodge is “an eccentric display of colour, décor and stylistic touches.” Local reaction has been, shall we say, mixed, but curious amusement seems to sum it up. Certainly this little corner of Jura will never be quite the same.
But shooting, hunting, fishing, fell-walking, lobster-eating, sailing and whisky drinking can all be organized upon request, so you won’t be short of things to see and do—and the views from the top floor are sensational. We walked out of the front door, right onto the beach and immediately spotted an otter playing in the surf. There are also golden eagles and other rare birds to be seen.
Created by interior designer Bambi Sloan (and I didn’t make that up), the Lodge might seem dangerously close to being a corporate folly but, in fact, earns its keep in Jura’s PR program by hosting a writer’s retreat. A number of noted British writers have stayed at The Lodge and shared their experiences in the book Spirit of Jura: Fiction, Essays and Poems from The Jura Lodge.
The visitors’ book also carries the signature of the best-selling Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith (Laura Bush is a big fan of his No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, as is Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers). It can’t be long before the fantastic, contrived and rather other-worldly but wonderful Jura Lodge, with its eclectic décor and frankly bizarre white suit of armor, appears in one of the great man’s novels.
Next door is the distillery, completely rebuilt in 1963 on the site of an earlier operation. Under the guidance of Whyte & Mackay’s energetic and ebullient Master Blender, the irrepressible Richard Paterson, Jura has been producing increasingly interesting whiskies in recent years. While a high proportion still goes for blending, the single malt has acquired a small following and is quietly growing its reputation, with special releases and cask finishes intriguing the malt mavens.
The standard is the 10 Year Old “Origin,” but enthusiasts maintain that a few extra years in cask see a marked development in quality and complexity. Expressions such as Superstition, Prophecy and the Paps (Jura-speak for “peaks,” commemorating the island’s dramatic topography and never released in the U.S.) are worth seeking out. Apart from the 10 Year Old standard, this year’s U.S. focus is on two special releases: Jura 21 and the 1976 vintage, which should be available later this summer.
I should mention that to get off the island, you have to retrace your steps down that single track road. Bring a teetotal driver!
Tasting Notes |
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Jura 10 Year Old “Origin” ($40) Deliciously undemanding, the American white oak barrels come through in a lightly fruited nose, with spice hints. The wood is to the fore on the palate, followed by vanilla, toffee and hints of coffee. A much improved whisky. If you’ve neglected it in the past, look again.
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Jura Superstition ($50) Lightly peated (unlike its Islay neighbours), this is a pleasant and undemanding single malt, ideal for an aperitif. There’s an agreeable sweetness (especially honey and marzipan notes on the nose) alongside hints of salt, pine nuts, cinnamon and floral hints. Well mannered, easy drinking whisky.
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Jura 21 Year Old ($165) Specially bottled to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the original distillery (founded 1810) this has been matured in Gonzalez Byass sherry casks and bottled at 44% abv to add extra body. Lots of tantalizing fruit flavors, spices, nuts and an intriguing citrus note. Splendid stuff.
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