Jura distillery manager retires

Graham Logan, Jura distillery manager, has retired after spending three decades at the company.

Logan started at Jura in November 1991 as a trainee mash man, and was appointed distillery manager in 2016, succeeding Willie Cochrane in the role.

To celebrate his commitment to Jura, he launched his own release of the single malt over the summer at a whisky festival on the Scottish island, called the Logan Cask.

The recipe, hand-selected by Logan, was said to offer a ‘perfect taste of the single malt’s distillery character’ with fruity, aromatic notes. It was laid to rest in Warehouse 2 and bottled at 58.9% ABV, with just 200 bottles available.

Logan looked back on when his Jura journey began and recalled: “I got a letter from my parents saying they had moved to the Isle of Jura. When our ship passed by a few weeks later, I only saw four houses and thought to myself ‘what have they done?’

“Soon after, I moved to join them and instantly fell in love with its remote charm and strong sense of community. I haven’t left since.”

His time at the company saw it become a leading whisky brand overseas, and his contributions to both the industry and the community on the island have been big factors in its success, the company noted.

Logan added: “It’s been an honour to serve the island and our distillery for all these years. Jura is a lot more than just a whisky – and the work that we do here is truly special.

“I look forward to seeing Jura’s bright future ahead and I know the distillery in good hands.”

New distillery manager

Jamie Muir, who was born on the island and kicked off his career at the distillery in 2006, will take over from Logan as distillery manager. Muir has since been honing his craft at distilleries around Scotland and Jura said his return will ‘mark the beginning of a new era’.

An advertising campaign will signal his start, depicting Muir and other islanders inviting audiences to ‘Say hello to Jura!’

Muir commented on his new position: “It’s a real full-circle moment, returning to Jura as distillery manager, having started my career here 16 years ago.

“I grew up on the island and have memories of football matches with Willie and sharing drams with Graham, so to follow in their footsteps is a real honour.”

The Whyte & Mackay-owned brand celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

In April, it added a single matured in pale ale casks to its Cask Edition Series.