William and Isabella Wemyss with their 10-year old malt
A limited release from a Fife distillery has been hailed as a defining moment for Lowland single malt whisky, writes JULENA DRUMI
For ten years, Kingsbarns Distillery has been crafting a signature style defined by local roots, careful distilling, and a long-term vision, which has come to fruition with the launch of its first age statement whisky. For the independent family-owned company in St Andrews, it is seen as a defining moment in a long journey.
The distillery’s first 10-year-old single malt is released this month and is seen as more than just a milestone for the company, but a stepping stone for the Lowland region.
William Wemyss, director, says: “Ten years ago, Kingsbarns was an ambitious vision. To now unveil our first 10-year-old single malt is not just a personal milestone, but a moment of celebration for everyone who has supported us on this journey.
“Our aim from the beginning was to create a light, elegant Lowland-style whisky that spoke to its
East Coast origins. This expression is proof that patience and precision has paid off. It’s a dram we’re
immensely proud to share.”
Both he and his sister Isabella see the long wait as just the beginning of another journey that will see the distillery play a lead role in the region’s place in the malt whisky story.
“It’s been an incredible first ten years, but we’re only just getting started,” says William. ‘With our new warehouses up and running, we’re excited to keep flying the flag for Lowland whisky, and to keep exploring new flavours and expressions that show just how special our spirit can be.”
William and Isabella began their venture into the world of spirits in 2005 with the creation of Wemyss Malts, laying the foundations for what would become Wemyss Family Spirits.
Today, the Wemyss Family Spirits portfolio includes Wemyss Malts, Darnley’s Gin, and Kingsbarns
single malts.
Their passion for whisky took a defining step in 2014 with the opening of Kingsbarns – a small,
independently run distillery and visitor destination near the village of the same name.
As blender, Isabella has been instrumental in shaping the distillery’s approach and guiding the
development of its spirit over the past decade.
She says: “This is a very personal moment for me. I’ve been with Kingsbarns since day one, shaping our spirit and choosing the casks we believed would let it shine. To see that vision now bottled as our first 10-year-old is incredibly special.
“We’ve always had a clear idea of the whisky we wanted to make – light, elegant and true to its Lowland roots – and we’ve never strayed from that.”
The release is matured predominantly in ex-Bourbon barrels with a touch of STR wine casks, and Isabella describes it as soft and balanced with summer fruits and vanilla, offering a greater depth, richness and complexity.
Kingsbarns’ growth has been built on a commitment to long-term whisky making and complete
control over maturation.
Today, it produces all of its whisky on-site using locally sourced barley and water drawn from beneath the distillery. Every release is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and matured in carefully chosen casks that allow the quality of the spirit to shine.
With its own bonded warehouse now operational, the distillery oversees every stage of the cask journey, from filling to dispatch, with full digital tracking ensuring transparency at every step.
That same principle shapes the Kingsbarns Private Cask Programme, launched to offer buyers secure, direct ownership of their own cask.
With all spirit stored in the distillery’s warehouse and monitored by the Kingsbarns team, the scheme claims to be setting a new benchmark for trust and integrity in a market too often clouded by confusion and false claims.
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