The exciting inaugural release from this new distillery, found in the East Neuk of Fife in Scotch whisky’s Lowland region.
Kingsbarn was established in 2014, having first been conceived by golf caddie Douglas Clement in 2009, before independent bottlers and blenders the Wemyss family took over in 2013 (with Clement remaining as a director). The distillery is tiny, filling just 24 casks a year, and located inside a former 19th farm. The bottling is so named because it marks the complete progress from Clement’s dream, to the final product – the Dram!
This whisky is produced from barley harvested in the local area, with the distillery’s water source located directly beneath it. The distillery uses a long fermentation, of between 3 and 5 days. The distillation is equally sedate, with the wash stills running for 8 hours and the spirit stills slow too. Kingsbarn take a high cut, which will help to produce a classically light and floral Lowland whisky.
The whisky is 90% matured in first fill Bourbon casks from Heaven Hill distillery, with the final 10% matured in re-charred first fill wine casks – adding a good dose of spicy fruitiness. The dram has been aged for between 3 to 4 years.
This is a classic Lowland dram, with notes of banana, pineapple, pressed flowers, red berries, dried fruit, cut grass and bright malt, alongside oakier flavours of toffee, fresh bread, ginger, vanilla custard and cinnamon spice.
Dream to Dram is bottled at 46% ABV, without chill filtration or colouration – allowing the drinker to enjoy the natural characteristics of this whisky.