Fife distillery names new whisky inspired by mining heritage of its area

Kingsbarns Distillery’s new “Coaltown” will become part of the brand’s core range, with an initial 6000 bottle production run anticipated to be in high demand.

It marks the 2014-established distillery’s first core range whisky harnessing ex-peated casks, that impart soft smoked notes while maintaining the brand’s fruity and floral signature character.

The name Coaltown is a reference to Coaltown of Wemyss, the 1890s-built estate village on the lands of nearby Wemyss Castle, and the ancestral seat of the family behind the distillery. It was created to house mineworkers in several coal mines in the area.

Isabella Wemyss, production director, said: “Every new launch is the result of a tremendous effort by our skilled team all local to the distillery. It’s unusual to see a whisky that has been exclusively matured in ex-peated casks. This unique approach allows us to offer a distinctive blend that stands apart from whiskies simply finished in ex-peated casks. By using ex-peated casks, rather than peat drying the barley, we are able to bring through the smoky notes traditionally associated with peated whisky whilst minimising our carbon footprint.”

Coaltown joins a small number of whiskies that form Kingsbarns’ core range, firm favourites and lines that will continue to be available with production runs throughout the calendar.

Like all whisky produced at the renovated distillery, Coaltown is for the purists - non-chill filtered and a natural colour, with no additives or hidden ingredients.

On the nose it offers hints of grilled banana, sweet smoke and hints of heather. On the initial palate there are subtle flavours: rose water, buttercream, touch of leather and delicate charred citrus zest. The finish is warming, evoking soft salted caramel, subtle campfire smoke and cinder toffee.

William Wemyss, founder of parent company Wemyss Family Spirts, said: “We are proud to present Kingsbarns Coaltown, a whisky that embodies our innovative spirit while staying true to our Lowland heritage. This release highlights our team's exceptional craftsmanship and our unwavering commitment to quality.”

The launch comes as Kingsbarns invests a multi-million-pound programme of investment to significantly increase production and capacity for its award-winning malts.