KinGlassie RAW 8 year old Vintage 2017 Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46,3%

 

This is not Islay, and it is not the Highlands either. At the foot of the Lomond Hills in Fife, a young distillery has fired up the peat, and the smoke settles over green Lowlands farmland like ash from a winter bonfire. The name is KinGlassie RAW. Smoke, no detours.

Expert description

KinGlassie 8 year RAW Edition is a Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46.3%.

It comes from InchDairnie, a Fife distillery founded by Ian Palmer, where the first new make ran from the stills on 21 December 2015. KinGlassie is named after the neighbouring village of Kinglassie and is the distillery's first single malt. RAW is also its first peated whisky, distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2025 as a limited edition.

The barley is grown in Fife and kilned over mainland Scottish peat to at least 50 ppm. The peated malt is only distilled for a short spell each winter, so the volume is limited right at the source.

All eight years were spent in ex-bourbon casks of American oak. No sherry, no finish. The bourbon wood brings vanilla and a little sweetness but leaves the smoke up front, where it belongs. It is non-chill filtered and carries no added colour.

RAW was released on 8 May 2025 alongside KinGlassie Double Matured, which spent five years in ex-bourbon casks followed by three years in first fill Amontillado sherry casks. They are the distillery's first ever single malt releases.

Tasting notes

Nose

Scorched heather and wet bonfire wood arrive first. Behind them sit chalk and flint, then slowly caramelised banana, lemon zest and toasted vanilla.

Palate

Ash smoke and black pepper, then smoked bacon and salted toffee that make it rounder than you expect. Green apple and ginger run alongside, and at the back you find sourdough crust, damp oak and a flash of citrus.

Finish

Dry and peppery. Spent coffee grounds and liquorice root linger.

Specifications

Name: KinGlassie 8 year RAW Edition Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: InchDairnie
Region/Country: Fife, Scotland
Type: Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 year
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2017
Bottled: 2025
Edition: RAW Edition
EAN no.: 5060916320147

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Malty sweet · Peppery · Citrus fresh

Did you know?

The distillery sits between two springs, Flowers of May and Goatmilk Hill. The hills behind it are the Lomond Hills, and InchDairnie is quick to point out that they have nothing to do with Loch Lomond.

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Frequently asked questions about KinGlassie 8 year RAW Edition

What does KinGlassie 8 year RAW taste like?

KinGlassie RAW tastes of bonfire smoke, black pepper and toasted malt, with a sweet undertone of banana and vanilla. The smoke is dry and ashy and comes first. Salted toffee and citrus sit underneath, and the finish ends on coffee grounds and liquorice.

Is KinGlassie RAW an Islay whisky?

No, KinGlassie RAW comes from Fife in the Lowlands, not from Islay. The barley is grown in Fife and the peat comes from mainland Scotland. The style is bonfire and ash rather than coastal.

How heavily peated is KinGlassie RAW?

The malt is kilned to at least 50 ppm, which puts it among the heavily peated whiskies. ppm measures the phenols in the malt, not in the bottle, so the smokiness you finally taste also depends on cask and age. Eight years in ex-bourbon casks does not hide the smoke. Read more in our guide to the difference between peat and smoke.

What is the difference between KinGlassie RAW and Double Matured?

RAW spent all eight years in ex-bourbon casks, while Double Matured had five years in ex-bourbon followed by three years in first fill Amontillado sherry casks. Both are heavily peated and bottled at 46.3%. RAW is the more direct of the two, while the sherry in Double Matured adds its own layer over the smoke.

Is KinGlassie RAW a limited edition?

Yes, it is a limited edition. InchDairnie only distils the peated malt for a short spell each winter, so the calendar caps the volume before anything else does. It is also the distillery's first peated single malt.

How do you serve KinGlassie RAW?

Serve it neat at room temperature in a tulip-shaped whisky glass. Try it without water first, then add a few drops. Water can open up the sweet notes of banana and vanilla beneath the smoke.

What kind of distillery is InchDairnie?

InchDairnie is a distillery in Fife, founded by Ian Palmer, where the first new make ran from the stills on 21 December 2015. It sits beneath the Lomond Hills between Kinglassie and Glenrothes and uses barley grown in Fife. Since 2016 its single malt has been distilled seasonally, and RyeLaw, a Scottish rye whisky, became its first official bottling in 2023.