Eden Mill draws heavily on its brewing heritage to shape the style of its single malt Scotch whisky, using beer malts such as pale malt, chocolate malt, and crystal malt in its mash. While some argue that barley varieties have little influence on whisky flavor, Eden Mill insists their choice of malts creates a noticeable difference in the new-make spirit.
The distillery sits on a site with a rich history in distillation and industry. In 1810, William Haig, father of John Haig of Cameronbridge fame, established the Seggie Distillery in Guardbridge, Fife. The Haigs operated Seggie until 1860 when they repurposed it into the Guard Bridge Paper Mill, capitalizing on the growing success of Cameronbridge. By the 1950s, the paper mill was a major employer in Fife, with a workforce of 600. However, after changing hands to Curtis Fine Papers in 1967, the mill ceased operations in 2008 when the company went into administration, leaving 180 people unemployed.
The site remained unused until St Andrews University purchased it in 2010, intending to build a biomass facility. In 2012, Fife entrepreneur Paul Miller launched Eden Brewery on the property, and by 2014, the facility had transformed into Eden Mill, Scotland’s first combined brewery and distillery, producing hopped gin and single malt whisky.
Eden Mill maintains a small-scale whisky production, filling just eight barrels per week. Its whisky will eventually be available in three distinct styles—pale malt, chocolate malt, and crystal malt—matured in various cask types. While its malt spirit matures, the distillery offers 500ml bottles of whisky at one and two years old, along with bespoke private cask options for collectors.
