Peter Holroyd

Distillery Manager

Hello, my name is Peter Holroyd. I’m the Distillery Manager here at Kingsbarns Distillery. In effect my role here is leading a small team of distillers in all aspects of spirit production, from raw materials intake to sending the spirit to casks and all the steps in between. Im also lucky enough to occasionally promote our malts at whisky festivals and tastings… Its great to meet folk that have a passion for whisky and showcase a little of what we make!

I came into the industry through brewing beer. Initially studying Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, followed by a couple of positions at different breweries where I learned my craft! I joined Wemyss Family Spirits and Kingsbarns Distillery way back in 2014. Its been amazing to see the place grow from strength to strength since the early days and it gives me an enormous sense of pride to be involved in making something that folk enjoy drinking.

I learned early on that this is a very friendly industry, it probably stems from the history of whisky blending as different distilleries swap whisky with one another to make up their individual products. I think that level of comradery and cooperation amongst competitor businesses that lives on to this day is pretty unique. We’ve had a lot of other distilleries go out of their way to help us out in the past, I don’t know if that would happen in any other trade.

My favourite tipple is probably Kingsbarns from ex-bourbon barrel maturation. I think this cask type just works so well with the spirit. The fruity/ floral character of the distillery shines through, which I love. All it needs is perhaps a drop of water to open it up.

I’m also a fan of peat once in a while, the “Smoky Shores” WFS release is the perfect fireside dram. That’s the beauty of whisky…The breadth and depth of the category. With such a variety of spirit styles available, there truly is a drink for every occasion