Lindores Abbey 1494 - Single Malt Whisky

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

As Lindores’ signature expression, this Lowland single malt brings together three types of cask: bourbon barrels, wine barriques and sherry butts. The year 1494 refers to the earliest written record of Aqua Vitae being distilled at the abbey site.

The barley used is grown in fields around Lindores Abbey that once belonged to the abbey estate. After a long fermentation, the spirit is distilled using one large wash still and two smaller spirit stills. This configuration creates additional copper contact during the second distillation. The whisky is bottled on site at 46%, retains its natural colour and is non-chill filtered.

Lindores deliberately dispenses with an additional presentation box for this bottling. Instead, a QR code on the label provides access to further information, while the bottle’s shape is inspired by dressed stones discovered during excavations at the medieval monastery.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose reveals soft vanilla and caramel alongside orchard fruit, pear drops and an impression of toffee apples.
• Palate: The whisky feels silky and creamy on the palate, with mild vanilla complemented by dried fruit, hints of citrus and a subtle spice note.
• Finish: The finish is medium in length, gently sweet and lingering.

Distillery/Bottler:

Lindores Abbey Distillery is located near Newburgh in Fife. The Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1494 mention the Lindores monk John Cor, whom King James IV commissioned to make Aqua Vitae from eight bolls of malt. Distillation resumed at the historic site in 2017, and the distillery’s first modern single malt was released in 2021.

The family-run distillery uses locally grown Laureate barley and ferments the wort in traditional wooden washbacks. Fermentation for the Lindores Single Malt lasts up to 117 hours. One large wash still and the two smaller spirit stills, Poppy and Gee, increase copper contact during distillation. The team’s aim is to create a clean, delicate spirit that develops well while still young yet also offers further maturation potential.

Facts: