After a sell-out success this year, the organisers of the Fife Whisky Festival, Karen Somerville and Justine Hazlehurst, have confirmed the festival will return for a sixth outing in 2024.
Around 700 whisky-lovers attended this years festival at the beginning of March, featuring tasting sessions and special events as well as an exclusive tour of InchDairnie Distillery along with a tasting of its soon-to-be-released RyeLaw whisky.
There were more tasting sessions at Cupar’s Corn Exchange where whisky connoisseurs enjoyed drams from over 40 distilleries and independent bottlers including Annandale Distillery, GlenWyvis Distillery, Isle of Arran Distillers and James Eadie and a tasting masterclass from Hannah Whisky Merchants at the Hillend Tavern in Dalgety Bay.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Distillery Company poured its Glasgow 1770 Ruby Port and Red Wine Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky – the first time it’s been tasted in the UK – and Kingsbarns Distillery brought its new flagship whisky ‘Doocot’ which only launched the day before the festival began.
This year’s exclusive Festival Bottling was a Staoisha eight-year-old – a peated single malt from Bunnahabhain Distillery bottled by Woodrow’s of Edinburgh, and the Luvians Bottle Shop, the festival’s on-site official retailer, was on hand for whisky purchases.
Festival co-founder Karen Somerville said, “We were pleased to offer two venues for the 2023 Sunday sessions – we like to do something special on the Sunday and are now looking at increasing to four Sunday events.
“We were also delighted to continue our annual fundraising efforts for Age Concern Cupar with around £1,000 expected to be donated this year from our generous attendees and exhibitors.”
Justine Hazlehurst said, “It was a successful weekend which went smoothly with lots of positive feedback. We had 90 people for the banquet dinner which is the largest number of attendees so far and Val (McDermid) was a great speaker.
“This year, we were able to host 350 people at each Saturday session – our largest number since we started – and they enjoyed the very first taste of several new whiskies.”
“We’re now ready to start organising the 2024 event and look forward to returning to Fife next March.”
Tickets for the next festival are due to go on sale early September and the date will be confirmed shortly.