ST ANDREWS, UK. October 9th, 2025 – St Andrews-based Kingsbarns Distillery has announced a major milestone for its whisky with the launch of its Kingsbarns 10-year-old, its latest statement whisky.
The launch marks a major milestone for a spirit rooted in East Neuk hospitality and golfing tradition.
The distillery began as the brainchild of former Scottish golf caddie Douglas Clement, whose idea was later developed by William Wemyss, Director of Kingsbarns Distillery.
William Wemyss said: “I still remember the moment I first heard from Douglas. It was late 2012 and I’d just left our Edinburgh office when an email pinged through with the subject line ‘Distillery Opportunity’.
“Douglas, who was then a caddie at Kingsbarns Golf Links, had this compelling idea to create a local distillery that would offer visiting golfers a taste of something truly rooted in Fife.
“Our family had never seriously considered building a distillery from scratch, but the idea resonated. Now, over a decade later, being in a place to launch our 10-year-old single malt is incredible.
“Working with Isabella Wemyss on creating the character of the spirit, our aim from the beginning was to create a light, elegant Lowland-style whisky that spoke to its East Coast origins. This expression is proof that patience and precision has paid off. It’s a dram we’re immensely proud to share.”
For years, Douglas entertained wealthy golfers who came from all around the world and who were always looking for the best spot for a dram.
While working among visiting golfers in St Andrews, he recognised a clear opportunity – people were eager to experience local whisky, yet the area lacked a distillery.
Born and raised nearby in Anstruther, he set out with William to change that, setting his sights on a derelict farm on the Cambo Estate he’d long considered ideal.
After raising initial funds from golfing contacts and securing government support, he partnered with Wemyss Family Spirits to bring the vision to life. Construction began in 2014, and Kingsbarns was born.
For ten years, Kingsbarns has been perfecting a signature style defined by local roots, careful distilling, and long-term vision, helping to fly the flag for the Lowland region.
Siblings William and Isabella Wemyss began their venture into the world of spirits in 2005 with the creation of Wemyss Malts, laying the foundations for what would become Wemyss Family Spirits, an independent, family-owned drinks company.
Today, the Wemyss Family Spirits portfolio includes Wemyss Malts, Darnley’s Gin, and Kingsbarns single malts.
Their passion for whisky took a defining step in 2014 with the opening of Kingsbarns – a small, independently run distillery and visitor destination near the village of the same name.
As Blender, Isabella has been instrumental in shaping the distillery’s approach and guiding the development of its spirit over the past decade.
Isabella Wemyss, Blender, said: “This is a very personal moment for me. I’ve been with Kingsbarns since day one, shaping our spirit and choosing the casks we believed would let it shine. To see that vision now bottled as our first 10-year-old is incredibly special.
“We’ve always had a clear idea of the whisky we wanted to make – light, elegant and true to its Lowland roots – and we’ve never strayed from that.
“This release brings it all together. Matured predominantly in ex-Bourbon barrels with a touch of STR wine casks, it’s soft and balanced with summer fruits and vanilla, offering a greater depth, richness and complexity that only time can deliver.
“For us, this is just the beginning. I’m hugely proud of what our team has achieved and excited for where the next ten years will take us.
Kingsbarns’ growth has been built on a commitment to long-term whisky making and complete control over maturation.
Today, Kingsbarns produces all of its whisky on-site using locally sourced barley and water drawn from beneath the distillery. Every release is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and matured in carefully chosen casks that allow the quality of the spirit to shine.
With its own bonded warehouse now operational, the distillery oversees every stage of the cask journey, from filling to dispatch, with full digital tracking ensuring transparency at every step.
That same principle shapes the Kingsbarns Private Cask Programme, launched to offer buyers secure, direct ownership of their own cask.
With all spirit stored in the distillery’s warehouse and monitored by the Kingsbarns team, the scheme sets a new benchmark for trust and integrity in a market too often clouded by confusion and false claims.
The Kingsbarns 10-year-old will be available online and via select specialist retailers from September 2025.
To find out more about Wemyss Family Spirits, visit: www.wemyssfamilyspirits.com
ENDS