Kingsbarns
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KINGSBARNS
WILLIAM WEMYSS
William Wemyss is managing director of Wemyss Vintage Malts and Kingsbarns distillery, which recently launched its first official whisky, Dream to Dram. He talks about the new member of the family business, wine, tea, handshake deals and the family’s long history in Fife.
Hometown spirit: William Wemyss celebrates the launch of Kingsbarns’ first official whisky
‘It is nice to be able to give back something to Fife, as the family has lived here since the 12th century. My cousin Michael is either the 46th or 47th generation to live on the estate.
‘We were coal miners [more accurately they owned coal mines] until they were nationalised, and we have various other businesses [including property, wine and renewables, as well as Wemyss Vintage Malts] within the family group. Yet Fife was a natural place for us to own a distillery.
‘There wasn’t any history of distillation in the family, other than Cameronbridge distillery being built on family land [in 1824]. My father and grandfather were growing barley and grain for local distillers, and we still use our estate-grown barley for Kingsbarns.
‘We started Wemyss Vintage Malts because the French kept saying: “Why does a Scottish family own a French vineyard [Rimauresq in Provence], but doesn’t have any whisky?”
‘The person who helped me the most at the start was Lenny Russell [of Ian MacLeod Distillers] and his operations director Gordon Doctor. The first snippet I had that this was a friendly industry was when I said to Gordon: “Can we have a supply agreement?” and he laughed and said: “We don’t have a supply agreement with anybody.”
‘He explained that because of the long-term nature of the industry, everyone is very friendly, and it is true. Everyone by and large helps everybody else; the big boys help minnows like ourselves. From a work perspective, it’s a very refreshing approach.
Modern revival: New distilleries are changing Fife’s whisky landscape, says Wemyss
‘It was a natural evolution for us to become a distillery owner. It was already a well-trodden path with Andrew Symington [Signatory] and Lenny Russell. The timing was right for us.
‘Having the wine business meant we understood how important it is to engage with the customer. We liked the idea that Fife is the home of golf, and we knew that golfers coming into the area were saying: “I love playing golf, but would like to taste Scotland’s other great export, single malt.”
‘Doug Clement [who had initiated the idea of a distillery at Kingsbarns in 2009] sent me an email about the concept, which I was stupid enough to open and read just as I was on my way to Haymarket railway station. I thought the project was interesting. I told him that we were looking to build a distillery and we began discussing it in 2012.
‘We were independent bottlers and had experience in selecting casks, blending, bottling and marketing. Adding on production was the next challenge. The involvement of Jim Swan was key. We couldn’t afford to wait 10 or 15 years before releasing a whisky.
‘It becomes a very expensive business, so Jim was instrumental in ensuring that we could release a whisky in three or four years, but also that it would go on maturing. We have a production plan that stretches across 21 years.
‘Rimauresq is very keen for us to do maturation and finishing with their casks, but that’s probably more of a Wemyss Vintage Malts project. Since Kingsbarns is all first-fill and we’re spending good money on them, it’s probably not the most sensible thing to go and change flavour by doing finishes. Who knows in years to come, though?
First malt: Wemyss marks Kingsbarns’ inaugural whisky with distillery manager Peter Holroyd
‘We still own tea estates in Kenya, but it’s for blends rather than being the tea equivalent of a single malt. We don’t make our own tea bags. That said, there are links. Our estates are at an elevation of around 6,000 feet, which reduces yield and improves quality, so there is potentially a similarity there. It might also be something for a new generation to investigate – it won’t be me, I’ll stick to whisky and gin.
‘I think there’s 18 distilleries either in production or pencilled in for Fife – and there’s now a Fife whisky festival – so things are changing fast. I don’t know whether Fife will ever get GI status, but I think Eden Mill, Daftmill, InchDairnie, Lindores and ourselves are changing the landscape hugely.
‘We wanted to use local ingredients as much as we could, so to have all the barley grown on the family estate was important. Having maturation done here as well was all part of the same idea of provenance. From the other end, we are Fifers and we want to support the local economy as much as we can, because we have been here for a while and it would be a good thing to do.
‘We are a Scottish family owning a single malt distillery when so much of the industry is not owned by Scottish families. I think it is relatively unusual. From an emotional standpoint, that is a nice thing to be involved in.’
The plans for this distillery near St. Andrews in Fife were drafted in 2008 and came to
fruition in 2014 when the distillery was opened. in March 2011 and in 2012
The idea was to restore a derelict farm – steading from the late 18e century and turn
it into a modern distillery.
Planning permission was received in March 2011 and in 2012 the Scottish government
awarded a grant of 670.000 pound.
This , in turn , led to the Wemyss family agreeing to inject 3.000.000 pound into the
project and becoming the new owners.
The company owns and operates the independent bottling Wemyss Malts and also
other companies in the field of wine and gin.
The distillery is equiped with a 1,5 ton stainless steel mash tun, four 7.500 ltrs stainless
steel washbacks with a fermentation time of 72-120 hours, one 7.500 ltr wsh still and
one 4.500 litre spiri still.
A slow distillation and a early cut are important to achieve the fruity character, Maily
first fill bourbon barrels are used for maturation together with STR casks ( wine
barriques that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred)
The first casks were filled in March 2015 and the current (2021) yearly production
is 200.000Lltrs of alcohol.
Kingsbarns distillery is set to release its first bottles of single malt Scotch whisky, available exclusively to its Founders’ Club members.
First release: Founders' Reserve is the first of five annual bottlings to be sent to Founders' Club members
The first bottles of Kingsbarns’ whisky – a three-year-old matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks filled in 2015 – will be sent to members of the Lowland distillery’s Founders’ Club in December.
The Founders’ Reserve Inaugural Release will be the first of five annual bottlings to be delivered to the distillery’s members over the next few years.
Future Founders’ Reserve releases will be drawn from a combination of casks, all of which will be bottled at cask strength without chill filtration.
William Wemyss, owner of Kingsbarns distillery, which was opened in Fife in 2014, said: ‘The development of Kingsbarns distillery has been an enthralling experience and the next chapter in the history of Kingsbarns is almost complete.
‘I am sure the Founders’ Reserve will meet all expectations and I look forward to sharing this Inaugural Release with fellow Founders’ Club members later this year.’
Non-members can still join the Kingsbarns Founders’ Club at kingsbarnsdistillery.com for a one-off membership fee of £500.
KINGSBARNS
From the Kingdom of Fife
DREAM TO DRAM
Limited Release
Estd 2014
Natural Colour
Non Chill Filtered
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46 %
1st Fill ex – Bourbon & 1st Fill STR Barrique Matured
Distilled from Fife Barley
Wemyss
Spirit of The Kingdom of Fife
Kingsbarns only ever uses Barley grown in the sun soaked field of Fife by a handful of Local
Farmers. We source our mineral rich water from an aquifer 100 metres directly below the
distillery.
Family owned and operated
With the Wemyss family’s long standing passion as Scotch Whisky Makers establishing a small
Local distillery in their home of Fife was a proud Moment.
Meticultously Produced
Unhurried fermentation using both traditional distillers’s and French yeast strains produces
an intensely fruity character that when slowly distilled in our Scottish Copper pot stills creates
a remarkably clean complex and light spirit.
Kingsbarns Dream to Dram, 3 YO, 46 %
The Kingsbarns Dream to Dram is the first readily available product from the Wemyss Malts owned Kingsbarns Distillery in the Lowland region of Scotland. It was launched on January 25, 2019.
This whisky has been matured in a mix of 90 % 1st fill ex-bourbon casks and 10 % 1st fill STR barriques (wine casks). STR is an abbreviation for shaved, toasted and re-charred.
The Kingsbarns Dream to Dram will be available in Norway on Friday June 21 at NOK 740 (11058301). It is also available in the UK at around GBP 45.
Nose: Pleasant maltiness. Clear notes of newmake, but a fine newmake at that. Clearly matured in 1st fill bourbon with lots of vanilla and tropical fruits. Hints of camphor.
Taste: Medium body and fairly low sweetness. Comes across as young. Apples with cereal notes as well as malt and vanilla.
Finish: Medium to short finish. Apples still. Drier towards the end. Hints of vanilla and tropical fruits.
Comment: A fine first effort. I feel confident we can expect a lot of great things from Kingsbarn
KINGSBARN
DEBUTS FLAGSHIP DREAM TO DRAM
29 January 2019
Fife distillery Kingsbarns has launched its first flagship whisky, a three-year-old single malt named Kingsbarns Dream to Dram.
Legally mature: Kingsbarns Dream to Dram is the distillery’s first whisky on general release
The single malt, produced exclusively using barley locally grown at the distillery’s East Neuk home, is Kingsbarns’ first whisky aged to a minimum three years to be released for general sale.
William Wemyss, owner of Kingsbarns distillery, said: ‘Dream to Dram is a wonderful single malt that I think perfectly captures the Lowland style and the character of our East Neuk home in Fife.
‘So much hard work, skill and dedication has gone into crafting our whisky over the past three years so my thanks and congratulations go to everyone at Kingsbarns.’
The whisky is said to be ‘clean yet complex’ with ‘banana, pineapple syrup and summer berries’ on the nose with ‘soft toffee and custard pastry’ on the palate.
Bottled at 46% abv, 90% of the whisky has been matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill distillery, while the remaining 10% has been aged in shaved, toasted and recharred wine casks.
KINGSBARNS
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
SINGLE CASK RELEASE
A Unique Hand – Picked Cask
61.9 %
Estd. 2014
From The Kingdom of Fife
Distilled from Fife Barley
Date Distilled: 22.7.2015
Bottles in Cask: 254
Cask Type: American Oak Bourbon Barrel
Cask Number: 1510292
Date Bottled: 2019
No Couring
Non Chill Filtered
Wemyss
Kingsbarns Distillery. St. Andrews, Fife
This truly remarkable hand – picked single malt from
Kingsbarns Distillery in The Kingdom of Fife is a shining
example of whisky bottled straight from one cask
with no chill filtering, colouring or dilution so that it
remains as natural as when it was drawn from the cask.
Kingsbarns single cask whisky is celebrated for the nuances
and variations that develop in both aroma and flavour
thanks to the wonders of natural oak cask maturation
Always strictly limited duet o the number of bottles that
can be drawn from one cask this is a whisky tob e
cherished and savoured.
KINGSBARNS
BALCOMIE
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46 %
From The Kingdom of Fife
Estd 2014
Matured in Ex – Oloroso American oak Sherry Butts
Kingsbarns Distillery has distilled, matured and botteld
this Sinle Malt Scotch Whisky
This Single Malt from the family owned distillery in The
Kingdom of Fife has been distilled using Fife barley and
matured in Ex – Oloroso American Oak Sherry Butts
used previously for maturing Sherry.
These casks were chosen for their gentle oak influence
and Sherry rich sweetness to compliments the fruit
characterof The Kingdom spirit.
A perfect balance between the spirit and the wood.
KINGSBARNS
FAMILY RESERVE
Limited Release
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Cask Strenght
59.2 %
Non Chill Filtered
From The Kingdom of Fife
American Oak Bourbon Barrel
and STR Barrique
Distilled from Fife Barley
A fruity complex and light whisky
bottled from some of the first mature
casks.
Superior Cask Maturation
Great lenghts have been taken to source
quality oak casks supplied from around the
world to mature our single malt and distinct
flavours. The Kingsbarns spirit securely
maturing in Fife bonded warehouses is im-
parted with intricate oak character and
subtle wood spices.
Kingsbarns distillery is set to release its first bottles of single malt Scotch whisky, available exclusively to its Founders’ Club members.
First release: Founders' Reserve is the first of five annual bottlings to be sent to Founders' Club members
The first bottles of Kingsbarns’ whisky – a three-year-old matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks filled in 2015 – will be sent to members of the Lowland distillery’s Founders’ Club in December.
The Founders’ Reserve Inaugural Release will be the first of five annual bottlings to be delivered to the distillery’s members over the next few years.
Future Founders’ Reserve releases will be drawn from a combination of casks, all of which will be bottled at cask strength without chill filtration.
William Wemyss, owner of Kingsbarns distillery, which was opened in Fife in 2014, said: ‘The development of Kingsbarns distillery has been an enthralling experience and the next chapter in the history of Kingsbarns is almost complete.
‘I am sure the Founders’ Reserve will meet all expectations and I look forward to sharing this Inaugural Release with fellow Founders’ Club members later this year.’
Non-members can still join the Kingsbarns Founders’ Club at kingsbarnsdistillery.com for a one-off membership fee of £500.
Kingsbarns Distillery launch 'flagship' Doocot whisky
Kingsbarns, the award-winning distillery in the Kingdom of Fife, has unveiled a new flagship whisky, Doocot.
March 2, 2023
Doocot whisky is the first global launch for the brand, as the new flagship malt is being unveiled across the 34 markets across UK, Europe and the United States simultaneously.
Available from 3 March, the new single malt scotch whisky is a natural evolution from the distillery’s highly-popular and multi award winning ‘Dream to Dram’.
Distilled from barley sourced less than six miles from the distillery, the flagship single malt has enjoyed further maturation in cask than ‘Dream to Dram’, maintaining balance and developing its complexity.
Kingsbarns Distillery’s production director, Isabella Wemyss, has carefully selected a combination of ex-Bourbon and STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) ex-Portuguese red wine casks to mature Doocot.
On the nose, the whisky has sweet and floral scents of soft brown sugar with banana cake batter and tropical notes.
On the palate, you can expect a combination of pineapple syrup, and summer berries with a hint of rhubarb.
Non-chilled - filtered and bottled at 46% this lowland single malt is full of sweet, fruity character, and is priced at an affordable £45.
The team said Doocot is light, intensely fruity and floral, complemented by a rich colour coming from the high-quality casks it has matured in.
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Doocot whisky name
The Scots word for dovecot, the name, Doocot, pays tribute to an architectural features at Kingsbarns Distillery.
The distillery's doocot is a free-standing structure with Adam-style crenellations and Gothic detailing, it looks to all the world like a miniature fortified tower.
Speaking of the new whisky, William Wemyss, founder and managing director of Kingsbarns Distillery, said: “Doocot has been years in the making.
"We’ve spent a lot of time perfecting the distilling process to make sure we’ve crafted the perfect finish. We’re so proud of the end result that Doocot now stands as our flagship whisky, taking over the mantle from Dream to Dram.
Glenmorangie release Amontillado Finish - the fourth whisky in Distillery’s Barrel Select Release series
“The new addition to our range allows whisky lovers to enjoy the same fruity and indulgent flavours that they’re used to but with an added level of balance and complexity.
"As we transition into the warmer months, Doocot is the perfect refreshing, fruity dram that is guaranteed to take whisky fans on a stunning flavour journey – we hope customers love it as much as we do.”
doocot whisky
How to try Doocot whisky
To celebrate the launch, 30 bottles of Doocot will be available on 3 March in a selection of bars across Scotland. Visit @kingsbarnsdistillery on Instagram to find out where you can purchase your first Doocot dram.