There are very few self respecting whisky lovers that wouldn’t love to be gifted a good old Jura for their birthday, Christmas, or any other day of the year, so to that end the 12 year old set makes for a perfect present. If we go back to my early twenties, when Britpop and the indie scene was the soundtrack to my life, it was very different indeed. The stunning scenery of the Isle of Jura served as a backdrop on the lid of a box that contained a bottle of Jura 12 Year Old, 5cl of Jura 18, a branded hip flask, a mini painting (since acquired by my kids) and a further unexpected treat.

There’s subtle peat smoke and char, coffee, chocolate raisins, hazelnuts, and spiced apple, accompanied by a less pleasant note of soggy cardboard and damp wood.

Matured in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in the finest Oloroso Sherry casks from Jerez, Spain, Jura 12 boasts a bold flavour profile that is rich with smoky sherry sweetness. Over the past 25 years, Master of Wine, Richard Kelley has become one of the most respected authorities on South African wine in the UK and beyond. The festival site is still up and – should you wish – you can be transported to the Isle of Jura, sample some pulsating folk music, slow right down as you take in some wondrous landscape, and enjoy some stories of island life. When you come in, you can find your new favourite bottle at our tasting counter, hire glasses, flutes and chiller bins free* and pick up some ice. This 12 year old single malt from Jura has been matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and finished in aged Oloroso sherry casks for a perfectly balanced dram, with a rich and rounded taste.

Between 1995 and 2002, he lived and worked in the Cape, witnessing the renaissance of the post-apartheid wine industry. Part of Jura's Signature Series, this 12 year old bottling has plenty of plum fruit and that classic gentle smokiness. These cookies allow us to create statistical analyses to determine which articles are the most popular. Tasting Notes: The colour is full of golden hues, the nose full of dark chocolate, honey, walnut and soft citrus notes leading to a palate brimming with hints of coffee, salted bananas, liquorice and brown sugar.Most of the whisky I drank came as birthday or Christmas presents, and Lagavulin 16 was to me the treat of all treats.