Jura gets redesign and ages up
Whyte & Mackay-owned Jura Distillery has added two years to its entry-level whisky and revealed a new look for its core range.
Jura 10 Year Old has been replaced by a 12-year-old whisky. The brand says the additional two years of maturation add notes of ‘peach, citrus and walnut’ that encapsulate its ‘fruity and balanced’ house style.
The decision was made following consumer taste tests, which found that more people – and, in particular, more younger people and more frequent drinkers – preferred the 12-year-old to the younger expression.
Jura 10 Year Old will hit shelves in the UK in October, before being rolled out globally shortly after.
The rebrand
The redesign has been led by accessibility, helping consumers to understand each whisky’s tasting notes. This includes a ‘first of its kind’ taste scale that identifies each expression’s three key flavours.
Jura’s research found that around two-thirds of people looking to buy a bottle of whisky leave empty-handed because choosing a whisky is too confusing.
It also discovered that the most important things when shopping are having confidence and reassurance about how a whisky will taste.
Conversely, technical terms such as ‘maturation’ and ‘cask journey’ were found to be overused and didn’t help consumers understand taste.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Jura’s senior global brand manager Craig Black explained: “The majority of people who buy whisky in the UK are not seasoned whiskey drinkers. They are looking for three key things. Number one: how is it going to taste? I want to know that it’s going to taste nice. Number two: I want some reassurance that this is coming from a place I can trust. And number three: how old is it?”
The new bottle design, created by Stranger & Stranger, features the three most prominent flavours in each expression, which are then rated on a scale from zero to six.
For example, Jura 12 Year Old is identified as having notes of peach (four out of six), citrus (three) and walnut (three).
Technical information on-pack has been limited, although those interested in further details can scan a QR code.
Claire Blackadder, head of brand, said: “Making whisky that people love and can enjoy is at the heart of what we do. Consumers tell us they love Jura 12 even more than Jura 10, and we are thrilled that our teams have worked hard to make that happen and we can now bring Jura 12 to more people in more places.
“Those additional two years in cask enhance Jura 12’s depth and character, making it more appealing to new customers and gifters alike.
“The new-look pack has been designed to help make the process of choosing a whisky easier and more accessible for customers. People tell us that buying a whisky can be baffling, and with the overuse of technical terms, customers often leave a store empty-handed. Not everyone is a whisky expert, and the most important thing people want to know is what the whisky will taste like.
“With our new pack redesign and taste scale, customers will easily be able to decide whether Jura would suit the occasion, and have the confidence that they are buying a whisky packed with Jura’s signature fruity and balanced flavours that appeal to many.”
The packaging now features a larger statement to help consumers identify each whisky.
The design also heroes Scotland and, in particular, Jura’s home island and its community. Black added: “The design concept we chose was called ‘fabric of the island’. This was about taking real inspiration from the island of Jura itself.” For instance, the bottle boxes feature texture inspired by the island’s topography and sea spray.
The new packaging will be rolled out in the UK from September, with a global release to follow.
The Islanders Series
The distillery is also launching a travel retail-exclusive range called the Islanders Series, which will be available in select outlets from October.
Featuring four expressions – White Oak Cask, 13 Year Old, 16 Year Old and 19 Year Old – the collection is inspired by the ‘values of Jura’s islanders’ and features the same design principles as the core range.
Earlier this year, we visited the island of Jura to check out the distillery and more.
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