Sterling Success for Kingsbarns Distillery

Double Silver for Single Malt ‘Dream to Dram’ at Global Awards

Kingsbarns Distillery in the East Neuk of Fife is celebrating a first taste of medal success, with news today (5^thJune) that it’s recently launched ‘Dream to Dram’ single malt has been recognised at two of world’s most respected spirits competitions.

After just a few months on the market, the dram has scooped two silver medals: one at the 2019 International Spirits Challenge (ISC), and a second silver awarded at the Spirits Business Whisky Masters Awards in the Premium Lowland category.

Both competitions are amongst the most prestigious in the global drinks industry, awarding medals only after a tough blind tasting process of thousands of entrants by world-renowned industry experts.

Distillery manager Peter Holroyd said that he and the Kingsbarns team were thrilled to see their flagship expression decorated so soon after launching. He commented: ‘We’ve had such a positive response since we launched Dream to Dram back in January, and these medals are another indication that we have created a single malt of real substance and quality. The calibre of entrants is so high at both competitions, so we are extremely proud to have put Kingsbarns on the map in our first year – as well as championing the Lowland region and style of malt whisky on the world stage. This is a wonderful recognition for the hard work and dedication of our whole distillery team.

Named to mark the Wemyss Family’s vision to bring malt whisky distilling to their Fife home, Dream to Dram is a truly local whisky, having been slowly crafted with barley harvested exclusively from East Fife.  Combined with superior wood choice and long, slow fermentation, the resulting whisky has a remarkably complex and distinctive character: light, intensely fruity, floral and balanced, with colour and richness coming from the wood. It’s a dram that perfectly captures the essence of this quiet corner of Scotland.

The ISC is regarded as the most respected competitions in the drinks industry, due to the stringent nature of the judging process. Now in its 24th year, it is the premier event in promoting outstanding quality spirits from across the globe. 

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Kingsbarns Distillery 

Kingsbarns Distillery began life as a semi-derelict farm steading – built around 1800 by Thomas Erskine, the ninth Earl of Kellie, as part of East Newhall Farm to service the adjoining Cambo Estate. Its centrepiece is a doocot, made with over 600 neatly formed terracotta nesting boxes which, at the time, would have housed pigeons to supply the laird’s kitchen with meat and eggs.

A three year restoration project involving specialist architects, engineers, designers and whisky specialists restored this historic building into the beautiful distillery and visitor centre that is now in place today – including the immaculately restored doocot in pride of place.

The distillery has 4 washbacks and 2 stills (wash still 7.5k litres, spirit still 4.5k litres) which have been designed to fit snugly into the low distillery space, using long lyne arms for maximum copper contact. The distillery has a capacity of 34 barrels per week and can produce 200k litres of alcohol per year.

The Kingsbarns team is aiming to make the distillery as green as possible and sustainability is at the heart of production. Waste water goes through reed beds and is returned clean into the local burn; local farmers use waste as fertilizer, and spent grain is used as cattle feed on neighbouring farms. Nothing is wasted and everything goes back into the local environment to the benefit of local businesses.

Distiller Peter Holroyd has been at the helm of distillation since the very beginning, sharing his passion for whisky and turning the Kingsbarns dream into a reality with the Wemyss family. A native of Glasgow, Peter graduated from the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling Course in Edinburgh, working in a number of small breweries before joining the Kingsbarns Team in his first whisky role.

The Kingsbarns Distillery Founders’ Club was launched on the first anniversary of the Distillery on 30^th November 2015 and is still open for membership.  Members enjoy a welcome pack with a small bottle of Kingsbarns New Make Spirit, a glass and membership badge, plus five exclusive bottles of the distillery’s inaugural Founders’ Reserve expression.