Kingsbarns Doocot Review: How is This Scotch Whisky?

The Kingsbarns distillery sits in the village of the same name in Scotland’s Lowlands whisky region. Founded in 2014 by Douglas Clement and owned by Wemyss Malts, the distillery has the capacity to produce 200,000 liters of spirit per year.

Former golf caddie Douglas Clement was inspired to open a distillery near the famous golf courses of St Andrews and Kingsbarns. The idea came after visiting golfers repeatedly grumbled about the lack of a distillery nearby.

After securing a 670,000 grant from the Scottish government, Clement convinced the Wemyss family to invest a further 2.5–3 million. The distillery officially opened in November 2014, and the first casks were filled in 2015. Dream became reality. Though doesn’t that ring a bell? It’s a nod to Kingsbarns’ first single malt whisky, Dream To Dram.

Kingsbarns Doocot is available from various online retailers.

The name Doocot is the Scots word for “dovecote. It pays tribute to one of the architectural features of the Kingsbarns distillery. This dovecote sits at the heart of the site: once a home for pigeons, now the keeper of the Kingsbarns story. During the renovation of the old farmstead in 2013, the aim was to restore as much of the historic building as possible rather than replace it. Among the oldest spaces preserved was The Doocot.

Doocot is the successor to the hugely popular, multi-award-winning Dream to Dram. Like its predecessor, Doocot comes in Kingsbarns’ bespoke bottle, produced by the specialist team at Stölzle Glass, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium spirits and liqueur bottles.

It’s a striking bottle, no question. You’ll find “Kingsbarns Single Malt” impressed around the rim, with embossed doves in flight. There’s also a lovely detail on the base: a depiction of Kingsbarns’ historic doocot.

The real question: how does it taste? That’s what matters. The maturation in a combination of ex-bourbon and STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) ex-Portuguese red wine casks immediately shows in the intensely sweet aroma of fresh fruit, followed by hints of dried fruit and flowers. Despite the 46% ABV, the whisky feels pleasantly warm and gentle on the tongue. It’s creamy, with an immediate burst of fresh fruit, apricot in particular, followed by tropical notes. Everything resolves into a medium to long finish, with those fresh fruit tones lingering to the end.

For a young whisky, Doocot delivers remarkable intensity. Carefully chosen casks have clearly paid off, and the Kingsbarns team has crafted a warm, approachable dram. It may lack some complexity, but it’s a very solid whisky nonetheless. We’re confident Doocot will collect awards just like its predecessor, Dream To Dram.

+ Intense

+ Beautiful bottle

+ Very approachable and drinkable despite the 46% ABV

- Lacks a touch of complexity

Check out the rest of our whisky reviews.