A Scot on Scotch reviews the first ever ten-year-old single malt Scotch whisky release from Kingsbarns Distillery in Fife.
A momentous occasion…
I don’t think I’ve quite got used to the idea that Scotland’s “new” distilleries aren’t so new anymore. Earlier this year, Glasgow Distillery celebrated their tenth anniversary and now it’s the turn of Kingsbarns over in Fife. It doesn’t seem credible that it’s been a full decade since these places first started producing. If I put aside my lack of comprehension (acceptance?) of the swift passage of time, however, it’s really quite satisfying to see these distilleries reach big milestones.
I don’t remember when I first heard about Kingsbarns, but I remember that it piqued my interest. My family holidayed in St Andrews when I was young, and I’ve always had a love for the area. The idea of a distillery in such a beautiful spot seemed such a great idea, that you wondered why it took so long to happen. I also had an interest in Wemyss Malts, dating back to a bottle of their Kiln Embers Limited Edition. That dram became something of a favourite and so I tried to keep up to date with whatever they were involved in. Great location and good people, is a pretty solid base to build a distillery on.
The Kingsbarns story goes beyond the Wemyss family, though. It began with Douglas Clement, a caddie who first identified the need for a distillery in this part of the country. Douglas eventually handed over to Wemyss, safe in the knowledge that they had the means to make his dream a reality. The release of Kingsbarns’ first ten-year-old is not only a wonderful achievement for the whole distillery team, but a testament to just how visionary Douglas’ initial idea actually was.
Much more than a tourist attraction…
I first visited Kingsbarns back in 2017. There was no sign of a single malt in those days, as the distillery had only been producing for two years. I remember being a wee bit concerned when I first stepped onto the tour because of all the golf content. I worried that the focus was more on the tourist experience than the production of a credible whisky. Thankfully, those fears were unfounded. As soon as I stepped into the distillery proper, it became apparent that Kingsbarns was a hard working distillery, and not at all an overly polished tourist attraction.
The first core release came in 2019 and the distillery has gone from strength to strength since. Now, the first ever double-digit age statement has arrived. What a journey it’s been. Here’s to the next ten.
*The whisky I am about to review was sent to me free of charge. I will always strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the sample and the value for money it represents.
Kingsbarns 10 Year Old Review
Tasting notes: On the nose, lemon-flavoured Danish pastries. Straw. Some light spices. Touch of red wine. Scottish Tablet. Freshly baked bread and honey. On the palate there’s more honey, Hobnob biscuits & oatcakes, a hint of tart raspberry, some caramel, and dry, woody spice on the finish. A wee splash of water made it sweeter, releasing more honey, some vanilla fudge, lemon again, even some pineapple.
Thoughts: This feels like a natural progression from what’s gone before. It’s definitely playing in the same field as the Dream to Dram and Doocot bottlings. The impact of the STR casks feel quite subtle, with only a wee hint of wine and a virgin oak-ish spice coming through on the finish. Even the bourbon casks have been sensitively deployed. You really feel the spirit character come through – something I’ve always appreciated about Kingsbarns. Despite the general lightness of the flavour profile, however, there’s enough weight to the spirit that it doesn’t feel too delicate. Altogether, a pleasant wee lowland dram that’s starting to show a wee bit more maturity.
Price: £65. Fair play to all involved. Kingsbarns has always been sensibly priced and this once again feels like it has been kept to a reasonable level.
For more on Kingsbarns visit here
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