InchDairnie Distillery

Ian Palmer founded InchDairnie in 2015, bringing extensive Scotch whisky industry experience to the project. The distillery was built on the historic John Fergus & Co. mill site in Glenrothes — the company trading name is John Fergus & Co. to honour that heritage. Palmer's technical ambitions centred on three principles he calls Materials, Method, and Maturation: unusual grain varieties, precision production equipment, and thoughtful cask selection.

The distillery began producing rye whisky in 2017, using traditional Scottish pot stills and new American oak casks — an unusual choice for a Scottish distillery. This expression, named RyeLaw, was eventually released in April 2023 as one of Scotland's first Scotch rye whiskies. The distillery's inaugural single malts, KinGlassie Double Matured and KinGlassie Raw (both 8 Year Old), were released on 8 May 2025.

In November 2024 InchDairnie announced plans to double annual capacity from two million to four million litres of alcohol per year. B Corporation certification was awarded in 2025, and the distillery is transitioning from natural gas to green hydrogen for its energy supply.

InchDairnie operates two wash stills and two spirit stills, giving an original annual capacity of approximately 2 million litres — targeted to reach 4 million litres by the mid-2020s. Water is sourced from the Flowers of May and Goathill springs. A mash filter replaces the traditional mash tun, improving efficiency and enabling different grain specifications. A Lomond still (in addition to the pot stills) allows production of spirits with a different character. The distillery's hammer mill handles grain processing; outdoor fermentation vessels contribute to flavour development. Diverse grain varieties — including rye — are processed across the range.

InchDairnie's house style reflects a precision approach to distilling. The flagship KinGlassie expressions show what extended maturation can produce with carefully chosen grain and cask:

• KinGlassie Double Matured (8 Year Old) — Described by the distillery as "Velvet Almond Smoke"; rich, sweet, and gently smoky with a soft, rounded texture.
• KinGlassie Raw (8 Year Old) — "Smouldering Fireplace Hit"; more intense and immediate, with raw smoke and grain character.
• RyeLaw Vintage 2017 — "Caramelised Spice Symphony"; Scotland's answer to a rye whisky, aged in new American oak, with warm spice, caramel, and an unusual boldness for a Lowland.

InchDairnie is not open to the public and operates no visitor centre. The distillery's whisky can be discovered as part of the Fife Whisky Tour. An online shop is available at inchdairniedistillery.com, along with a Cask Club membership programme for direct cask access.