J is for Jura. The dark peaty water for the stills falls from a loch for over 1000 feet to the distillery in the island's only village. A surprisingly light colour, it is not as peated as an Islay malt, but you can detects seaside saltiness traces after the initial sweetness. In the mid 18th century the pagoda shaped distinctive roofs of whisky kilns began to appear. In these buildings the green malted barley is dried, still over peat which adds flavour, and this stops further germination.
L is for Lowland.
For over 350 years this has been the defined name for whiskies produced south of the Highland fault line. Few distilleries are active today, but their light soft characteristics are essential in blending. Glenkinchie from the great barley producing area of East Lothian is the most widely available single malt from the Lowlands. You would find this attractively light straw coloured, sweetish, with a fine floral nose. Here in the little ancient burgh of Biggar, which we call home, we are preparing to burn out the old year, and welcome the new, with our huge 20 ft high street bonfire.