Fife’s Kingsbarns Distillery has invested around £5 million in new technology designed to increase production capacity by 40%.
Their new washback, a large vessel used in the fermentation phase of whisky making, is so large it required a full wall in the distillery to be removed so it could be installed.
At an impressive 5.15 metres tall, and capable of holding 20,000 litres, the device should allow Kingsbarns to boost distillation output by more than 40%.
And Kingsbarns has started development on a new, large-scale storage facility in Glenrothes it says is required to meet demand for its Lowland single malt.
Decade in whisky
Kingsbarns celebrates its first decade in business this year, meaning within the next two years they will be able to start selling 10 and 12-year-old bottles to the public.
William Wemyss, founder of Kingsbarns’ parent company Wemyss Family Spirits, said the investment “underscores” their growth potential as its spirits mature.
“We’ve developed a real foothold in the market for Lowland whiskies and now need to substantially increase our stocks of maturing spirit to meet the thirst for this delicate, fruit-forward malt,” he said.
“As the distillery approaches its 10th anniversary, this expansion will allow us to ramp up production while gaining better control over specialised maturation and bottling when we start releasing 10 and 12 year-old aged expressions over the coming years.”
Peter Holroyd, distillery manager, added: “While vastly increasing our scale, it’s critically important these changes don’t alter the fruity, elegant house style our team has diligently created.”
The new Glenrothes storage facility is expected to be finished by the end of the summer.
Kingsbarns Distillery’s expansion follows the business committing to meet net zero targets by phasing out its presentation boxes and cartons, which will save over a tonne of carbon each year.
What is the washback?
Washback vessels are made of wood, stainless steel , stone or concrete and are used for fermentation.
In whisky production, a sugary liquid called wort is put into a container called a washback and yeast is added.
This triggers the start of fermentation and after a couple of days, all the sugar has turned to alcohol and is called wash.
It produces an alcoholic liquid with an ABV of around 5%, similar to beer.
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