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Kingsbarns Balcomie Review

Kingsbarns Balcomie is a sherry-matured Lowland single malt from a distillery born from a golf caddie’s dream - but does it deliver?

OVERALL RATING

7
$59
  • Genevieve is a South African whisky enthusiast with a PhD in Philosophy and founder of Kenton on Whisky, a coastal tasting venture.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Kingsbarns Distillery is a relatively new Scottish whisky distillery located in the Lowlands region, not too far from St Andrews. I was quite excited to try this whisky, as Lowland whiskies are relatively rare where I live, and I was curious to expand my acquaintance with the region.

The distillery apparently takes its name from the village of Kingsbarns and the Kingsbarns Golf Links, which is next door to our distillery. The name Kingsbarns comes from the fact that the area was once the site of barns that once stored grain collected on behalf of the Crown before it was transported elsewhere. The fields surrounding the distillery are still used for farming today, and in fact the barley used to produce Kingsbarns’ single malt is also grown there.

The distillery is actually the brainchild of Douglas Clement, a former golf caddie at nearby courses, who saw a first-hand interest from visiting golfers in having a local distillery close to the famous links. With financial some backing from the Wemyss family (well known for their independent bottling company, Wemyss Malts) the project eventually came to life.

Construction of the distillery was completed in 2014, with the first spirit going into casks in 2015.

The Kingsbarns Balcomie was named after nearby Balcomie Castle, and first launched in 2020 as part of the distillery’s early core range. It is a NAS single malt matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. It’s also non chill-filtered, natural in colour, and bottled at 46% ABV.
Appearance:
Golden amber
Nose:
Sweet vanilla accompanied by bright summer berries – strawberries and raspberries – with even a touch of watermelon. There is also a little fruitcake perhaps, along with a faint white pepper prickle.
Palate:
Fruity. A note reminiscent of a cherry-flavoured fizz pop appears alongside some orange zest. Caramel flavoured coffee. A buttery texture develops on the palate, and there’s a faint hint of coconut and gentle baking spice.
Finish:
Warming, with lingering fruity sweetness and gentle spice.
Comments:
The nose on this whisky is surprisingly expressive – pleasantly so. The Lowlands has a reputation for producing whiskies that are light and delicate, so I was initially a little taken aback by the richness of the aromas. The bright fruit notes in particular are very appealing.

However, this is also a whisky that I’ve grown fonder of the more I’ve returned to it. When I first opened the bottle, I found it slightly underwhelming and struggled to get much from the nose in particular. That impression has shifted with subsequent tastings, where the aromas seem to open up far more readily.

It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s nevertheless a whisky I have come to seriously consider seeking out again.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod

Genevieve is a whisky enthusiast from South Africa with a PhD in Philosophy, so she enjoys both drinking and thinking about whisky. She loves tasting new whiskies whenever she gets the chance - so much so that a few years ago she set up a small whisky tasting business, "Kenton on Whisky", in the tiny coastal town where she lives (this also serves as an excellent excuse to grow her selection of whiskies beyond reasonable limits).

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