Kingsbarns was founded in 2014 by Douglas Clement and is currently owned by independent bottler Weymss Malts, which purchased it in 2022. The placement of the distillery in the Lowland region, where there have been remarkably few active distilleries in the 21st century, was purportedly done to help provide comfort to golfers at the nearby famous courses around St. Andrew’s. The first whisky launched in 2018 and after a number of limited in development expressions, a limited core range emerged. The Kingsbarns Doocot is their flagship release and is the Scottish word for the dovecot that sits at the center of the distillery. It is a blend of whiskies matured in (90%) ex-bourbon and (10%) ex-Portuguese red wine barriques that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred (STR), both first-fill.
Bladnoch Vinaya
Bladnoch distillery was founded in 1817 and, located along the River Bladnoch, is the most southerly distillery in Scotland. It is the fourth-oldest distillery in Scotland and, owned by Australian businessman David Prior starting in 2015, is the oldest independently owned one. The distillery produces for two brands; one the main Bladnoch brand and the other called Pure Scot. Their current master distiller is Dr. Nick Savage, and they have been producing whiskies from a mix of new and aged stock since the brand’s relaunch in 2017. The Bladnoch Vinaya is matured from a mix of first-fill bourbon casks and first-fill sherry casks. Vinaya is a Sanskrit word meaning respect and gratitude, and is meant as a warm acknowledgement to the distillery’s founders.
Bladnoch 12 Year
2017 marked the 200th anniversary of Bladnoch. The southernmost distillery in Scotland, it was once known as “Queen of the Lowlands.” Living in the shadow of regional brethren Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie, it has closed several times due to a variety of circumstances. The current owner, David Prior, is the first Australian to own a Scottish whisky distillery. The latest relaunch in 2016 was aided by legendary Master Blender Ian MacMillan, which means this bottle of Bladnoch 12 contains product from an earlier period in the distillery’s storied history. This whisky comes with either the distillery on the label or a sheep (like ours).