Kingsbarns Journal

We finally have honey flowing from the beehives at Kingsbarns! This is really exciting for us as we are always looking at ways to reintroduce the environment to a sense of normality when it comes to all things nature. The bees have been helping us in our new Gin Garden where botanicals we use in distillation are growing. We are determined to always look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and have home grown botanicals, pollinated by resident honey bees, is another strong step in that direction. This is a honeycomb fresh from the hive and ready to go...

Ex-bourbon casks are the mainstay of the Scotch whisky industry, and are more used than any other type of cask. They are particularly suited to the light, fruity Kingsbarns spirit as they compliment rather than mask the flavours, imparting predominantly sweetness and vanilla. In selecting our bourbon cask supplier, we were looking both for quality and consistency. We decided to buy directly from one distillery in Kentucky rather than through an intermediary who would give us casks from a range of different distilleries. As we journey down the path of learning how Kingsbarns matures, we are constantly delighted by the...

So, what is the difference between whisky and whiskey? Is it just the spelling or is there more to separate these spirits? The first term to exist - whisky (without an e) - derives from an old Gaelic word 'usquebaugh' meaning 'water of life'. It is a combination of 'uisge' meaning water and 'beatha' meaning life. The translation has, of course, been used to describe many drinks over time such as Aqua Vida or Eau de Vie. The split into whiskey (with an e), however, came in the 1870s when Scotch wasn't doing so well and the Irish wanted to...

Isabella Wemyss, our Director of Production, shares about the Solera System of sherry maturation and why we love using these casks to mature our whisky. There are three main influences on cask character – the wood itself, what the cask has previously contained, and for how long it was previously used. Scotch is usually matured in casks which have previously contained another product, generally bourbon or sherry; and the influence of the wood itself is diminished over the time it is used as the spirit soaks up the wood flavours. The decision as to what type of cask to mature...