Lindores Abbey distillery has been designed as a tribute to the 800-year-old Tironensian Abbey, blending aesthetically with the historic site using local materials like wood from Denmylne and stone from Clatchard Quarry.
The distillery features one wash still and two spirit stills, producing a lightly peated Lowland malt (located near the Highland border) from barley sourced from nearby farms and Fife, malted at Muntons. Maturation will take place on-site in a custom-built dunnage warehouse, 25% of which will be heated to accelerate the maturation process.
In addition to its unique maturation method, Lindores will use a special yeast strain, possibly dating back to the 15th century, in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University, to create a limited edition single malt. A portion of the new make spirit will also be reserved for ‘aqua vitae’ – a malt spirit infused with local herbs such as sweet cicely, which grows along the River Tay. Eventually, fruit from the Abbey’s new orchard will be incorporated into the spirit.
The Mackenzie Smith family aims to create a “world-class visitor attraction,” educating guests about the Abbey’s history, the monks’ crafts and lifestyle, and the whisky-making process. Lindores Abbey, founded in the late 12th century by the Earl of Huntingdon, was once a royal site but is now a ruin. The Abbey and surrounding land were sold to John Howison in 1912 and are now owned by Howison’s great-grandson, Drew Mackenzie Smith, and his wife, Helen.
The first recorded mention of whisky production in Scotland is linked to Lindores Abbey. In 1494, the Exchequer Rolls listed an order from King James IV for “eight bols malt” to be used by Friar John Cor, a Tironensian monk, to make ‘aqua vitae,’ the water of life. As a result, the Abbey is considered the ‘spiritual home of Scotch whisky.’
Drew Mackenzie Smith had long envisioned a distillery at Lindores and launched a £10 million project in 2013 with support from European investors. An archaeological dig on the site uncovered an 18-meter wall just beneath the surface, delaying construction until July 2016. The distillery’s visitor center opened in October 2017, with distillation expected to begin soon.
Despite its historical ties, the distillery faced trademark challenges over the use of the Abbey’s name, leading Mackenzie Smith to state that they will not produce a chocolate liqueur to avoid conflict with Lindt, the maker of Lindor chocolates.
