Kingsbarns Spirit Drink

Kingsbarns is the new distillery opened by independent bottler Wemyss. As they have only put their first casks to sleep in December 2014, we will need to be patient until 2018 before we can try their first whisky. Their spirit, however, is already commercially available. While technically in the Highlands, about 6 kilometers from the famous golf links of St Andrews, they call themselves a Lowland distillery.

The nose is dry and sweet. Think strawberry candy and violets (the flowers, not the purple candy). Quite creamy, despite the fact that it is dry. You follow? Not one off-note, which is nice. Good nose. Adding water makes it lean towards more classic new make notes like cooked vegetables and yeast. I quite like it.

Scorching hot on the palate, of course. My tongue is on fire. Yet it is quaffable, certainly from the second sip. Sweet on candy-like notes, but also some aniseed and pepper. Pretty floral, actually. It becomes a lot less scorching with some water, but then allows more earthy notes to shine through.

Fairly long finish on spicy touches with something green in the mix, if you know what I mean. Diluted there hardly remains any finish.

Beautiful spirit that will result, I think, in a soft aperitif style whisky. A bottle of 20cl will set you back around 18 EUR.