Kingsbarns Spirit Drink 61.5%
New Make/ Tasted: Apr 2018
An elegant nose of sweet barley and subtle estery banana, apricot and grass. Wonderfully fresh and gristy with a good, robust barley depth. It displays a similar, approachable sweetness to Glenglassaugh new make.
The palate displays sweet-ish cereal and hints of estery fruit. Lightly oiled ‘off the still’ notes appear but the spirit is very clean. Hints of peppery spice on the middle ands a lovely, grassy, apple, apricot and light honey finish.
With water the cereal notes on the nose become a little rawer, grainier and nutty with more emphasis on the malt, but the barley has become pleasantly fragrant as well. That fragrant barley character is noticeable on the palate with more nuttier, malty notes. A little short now, but still pleasantly peppery and fruity.
Kingsbarns Dream to Dram 46%
First Fill Bourbon & First Fill STR Barrique/ Tasted: Oct 2019
Pungent aromas of toasty oak and sweet red berries. Hints of barley and tropical, estery pineapple, banana and apricot. Wonderfully aromatic and juicy. The balance between casks and spirit is absolutely spot on!
The palate opens, like the nose with toasty oak and vanilla. Silky tannins and subtly sweet red berry notes follow and lovely sub-tropical apricot, banana and pineapple fruit follows that. Good barley focus on the middle with a touch of spice. Very intense finish with the re-charred cask notes returning, but amazingly lacking any bitterness.
Kingbarns Family Reserve Limited Release 59.2%
Tasted: Aug 2020
The nose opens with the STR wineyness, soft tannins and almost sherried dried fruit. The alcohol is very dampening but underneath you can just about make out some soft, lightly estery fruit, creamy oak, green apple and balsamic notes.
Like the nose, the palate opens with the STR cask fruit and tannin, but the combination of tannins and alcohol really mask any further development. The tannins become a little bitter on the finish, but it’s not too intrusive.
With water I expected more of the estery fruit to appear and yes, there is some white fruit but brought out the barley. The American oak notes are subtler and there’s more of the juicy red fruit. The palate is younger and oilier feeling and both the fruit and the cask notes have practically disappeared. Yes, there are some barley notes and some oily marzipan but it’s nowhere near as impressive as their 46% bottling. Lightly malty, shredded wheat after-taste.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 