Iso-amyl alcohol (iso-pentanol or 3-methylbutan-1-ol) that can be biologically produced is among the possible alcohols usable as alternative fuel in internal combustion engines. It has a higher energy density than smaller alcohols (ca. 28.5MJ/L compared to ca. 21 for ethanol, and 27 for 1-butanol); it is less hydroscopic than ethanol and mix better with hydrocarbons. In order to better understand the combustion characteristics of that alcohol, new experimental data were obtained for its kinetic of oxidation in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR). Concentration profiles of stable species were measured in a JSR at 10 atm over a range of equivalence ratios (0.35-4) and temperatures (530-1220 K). The oxidation of iso-pentanol was modeled using an extended detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism (2065 reactions involving 343 species) derived from a previously proposed scheme for the oxidation of a variety of fuels. The proposed mechanism shows good agreement with the present experimental data. Reaction path and sensitivity analyses were conducted for interpreting the results.