For those of you following my journey into whisky, you’ll know it’s been an interesting ride. I began by drinking it here in London, guided by some of the industry’s experts. Some I loved, others I loved less but an interest and appreciation was sparked. Next I travelled to Ireland to discover their whiskey tradition, which is sometimes credited as the first (although this provokes so much controversy that I won’t get into it!) but was certainly the largest in the 19th century. Where could my path lead to next but the drink’s modern day spiritual home of Scotland.
Scottish whisky needs no introduction. It is the most consumed in the world and its over 109 distilleries account for a quarter of the UK’s food and drink exports. Yet my tickets arrived and I was not going to the Highlands, nor to Islay and no, not even to Speyside. I was travelling to Fife, to a tiny fishing village on the coast called St Andrews. Golf was not on the itinerary, the Kingsbarns Distillery was.
Scottish whisky needs no introduction. It is the most consumed in the world and its over 109 distilleries account for a quarter of the UK’s food and drink exports. Yet my tickets arrived and I was not going to the Highlands, nor to Islay and no, not even to Speyside. I was travelling to Fife, to a tiny fishing village on the coast called St Andrews. Golf was not on the itinerary, the Kingsbarns Distillery was.
The significance of this is perhaps explained by a little Scottish whisky history (hold on, folks…we’ll get to the drinking soon). Nowadays whisky production in concentrated in a few key areas – those named above – however historically it was produced everywhere in Scotland. Every farmer’s wife would make it from barley and it was a peasant drink, unaged and clear. As its popularity grew, so did attention from the government and in 1644 the Scottish parliament passed a tax on whisky, driving much of its production away into inaccessible areas where the authorities could not reach. So then was born the modern day concentration of distilleries in the craggy highlands and remote isles. Fife however was flat and conspicuous, easy for the government to watch and so whisky production plummeted; a shame for a county which has grounds for claiming the first ever Scottish distillation of it at the hands of Fife born Friar John Cor in 1494! Until as recently as 2014 if asked where the nearest distillery was, the answer would be 50 miles! Indeed it was this very question that, when asked to local golf caddy Douglas Clement whilst out on the famous St Andrews golf course, set the wheels turning in his mind that led to the opening of the new Kingsbarns whisky Distillery.
Douglas was so shocked to realise that no distillery existed in the area that he took steps to remedy it, finding the perfect site on the ruins of an old farm and dovecote (in Scotland spelt ‘doocot’). Douglas is passionate about Fife and was insistent that the whisky produced would be a truly Fife product. As such, all the barley used to make the whisky is grown in Fife, the water used is pumped from an underground river and pains were to make sure that even the investment behind the distillery was local in the form of the Wemyss, an ancient Fife noble Scottish family, who bought the distillery in 2013. Quite apart from being Fife locals, they also produce a whole raft of other Wemyss’ malts, bringing experience as well as resources to the party.
After a huge project to renovate the old farm site, the distillery finally started producing this year and the first barrel of Kingsbarns whisky was barrelled in March! The style of whisky they are expecting will be a ‘Lowlands’ one – light, fragrant and with subtle mineral notes inherited from the underground water source.
I visited the distillery to explore more. It could hardly be framed in prettier surroundings; right on the coast, fringed by the Kingsbarns golf course links and with the Cambo Estate Stately Home peeking through the trees at it. The facility is modern and stylish, whilst preserving some of the site’s more iconic original features such as the dovecot tower. Various tiers of tour are available with the cheapest starting at just £8, including a 1 hour site tour and dram of Wemyss Malts whisky, and the priciest coming in at £50, including a lengthier tour and tutored tasting across multiple whiskies. Both are bargains in my book and make for a great day out. 
We began with a brief overview of the area’s history and a video on the whisky production process. Next, into Kingsbarns Distillery’s custom built immersive scent experience! They’ve created a corridor lined with cow horns, each imprinted with the aromas that make up the whisky tasting palate. Attendees are challenged as to how well they can pick up each individual note. Great fun.
We began with a brief overview of the area’s history and a video on the whisky production process. Next, into Kingsbarns Distillery’s custom built immersive scent experience! They’ve created a corridor lined with cow horns, each imprinted with the aromas that make up the whisky tasting palate. Attendees are challenged as to how well they can pick up each individual note. Great fun.
Followed by a quick tour around the old dovecot itself it was into the heart of the distillery where the production itself takes place. Kingsbarns are almost unique in that the entire process takes place in one room. With the entire end to end process is right there in front of you to see, it’s a great set up for tour groups. We pottered around the mashing pots where malted barley is ‘washed’ to extract sugars and stuck our heads into the two gleaming copper stills distilling the whisky. I got a face full of whisky fumes but hey – they did say it was an immersive experience! These stills have been built extra tall to filter off heavier flavour compounds and produce the light and subtle profile of whisky Kingsbarns works towards. Even the barrels are there, fragrant and sugary from Kentucky where they were used to make Heaven Hill Bourbon.
Every good distillery tour has got to end with lashings of whisky and Kingsbarns was no exception. Up in one of their several tasting rooms distillery founder Douglas led us through the full spread of Wemyss whiskies, explaining the origin and tasting notes of each (see here for the full notes). When I say ‘the full spread’ too, I really mean it. We veritably wobbled away from the tasting room.
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Like me in my journey into whisky, Kingsbarns has a long way to go. For them, three years and a day to be exact, for this is the legal time a whisky has to be aged to be so classed. I imagine they’ll be aging it considerably longer than the minimum too. We all have a long wait before getting to try this whisky but the graft and expertise injected into this distillery all point to a sip that will be worth the wait.
There is a peculiar romance about Kingsbarns Distillery; one man’s dream, pursued to its apex through hard work and passion. It’s stories like these that make me excited to be exploring this product –truly a dream to dram tale.
There is a peculiar romance about Kingsbarns Distillery; one man’s dream, pursued to its apex through hard work and passion. It’s stories like these that make me excited to be exploring this product –truly a dream to dram tale.
http://www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com/
Kingsbarns Distillery & Visitor Centre, East Newhall Farm, Kingsbarns, Fife, KY16 8QE
01333 451300
