InchDairnie Distillery: Ian Palmer's Fife Distillery and RyeLaw
Updated: 24 hours ago
InchDairnie is a Fife distillery founded by whisky industry veteran Ian Palmer. Its first whisky, RyeLaw, was released in 2023 and was distilled in 2017.
In this guide
Summarise this guide with AI
InchDairnie at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Region | Lowland, Scotland |
Ownership | InchDairnie Distillery group |
History | First spirit Christmas Day 2015 |
Whisky and production | RyeLaw is grain Scotch; KinGlassie is peated single malt introduced 2025 |
Named expressions | InchDairnie RyeLaw, KinGlassie Double Matured, KinGlassie Raw |
Visits | Verify public access, current tours and opening times with the distillery before travelling. |
Join the InchDairnie whisky community poll
Which whiskies have you tried? What should Whisky Clan review next? Open the highlighted poll below, answer four quick questions and share your preferences with the community.
TAKE THE INCHDAIRNIE COMMUNITY POLL · 4 QUICK QUESTIONS
Answer four quick questions to see real reader percentages. No account or email is required.
Key facts
Location: Fife
Region: Lowlands
Founder and chairman: Ian Palmer
Founded: 2015, according to press reports
First whisky: RyeLaw, distilled 2017 and released April 2023
Capacity: being doubled to four million litres of alcohol, reported November 2024
History
The distillery is the brainchild of Ian Palmer, who had worked in whisky production for more than 30 years before founding it. Press reports describe it as founded by Palmer in 2015.
Its first whisky, RyeLaw, was released in April 2023. It was distilled in 2017 and was described as the result of years of planning.
The distillery has been described as experimental, using barley from all seasons. In November 2024 the Herald reported that it was doubling capacity to four million litres of alcohol.
Range
RyeLaw, the first release
Founding and site
The Single Cask says InchDairnie was founded in 2015 by whisky industry veteran Ian Palmer, first registered as John Fergus & Co, on the site of the historic John Fergus & Co mill in Glenrothes, Fife. The distillery has two wash stills and two spirit stills.
The mash filter
InchDairnie uses a mash filter and a hammer mill instead of a traditional mash tun and roller mill. The Single Cask says Teaninich is the only other Scotch distillery known to use the same approach, and that the distillery says it delivers a better yield from the same barley.
Growth
Eight maturation warehouses were added between 2017 and 2019, plus a blending facility
Almost 11 acres at Osprey Road were bought in 2022 for a bonded warehouse
The distillery is working toward 4 million litres of alcohol a year, up from an initial 2 million
It has committed to switching from natural gas to 100% green hydrogen
What it has released
RyeLaw, a pot still rye whisky aged in new American oak, was released in April 2023. The first two InchDairnie single malts followed in May 2025. The Single Cask says no independent bottler releases exist yet.
Visiting
The Single Cask says InchDairnie has not run as a general visitor attraction, so check with the distillery before planning a trip.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded InchDairnie?
Ian Palmer, an industry veteran.
What was its first whisky?
RyeLaw, released in April 2023.
Where is it?
In Fife, Scotland.
Sources and gaps
The Scotsman, 26 April 2023, InchDairnie release Ryelaw
The Herald, 18 November 2024, The response to RyeLaw has been satisfying and humbling
Scottish Local Retailer, 26 May 2016, Whisky veteran launches own distillery
Whisky For Everyone blog, 5 June 2016, Distillery visit
The Single Cask, InchDairnie Distillery guide (thesinglecask.co.uk/blogs/distilleries/inchdairnie), dated 16 October 2026
inchdairnie.com was tried and is a for sale domain page, so it is not an official source
Gaps: the official website could not be found, so owner structure, ABVs, prices and visitor access rest on The Single Cask and earlier press. The Single Cask names Ian Palmer as founder and does not state the current owner. Still sizes and capacity beyond the 2 and 4 million litre figures are not verified. Set the slug by hand.
Verified producer details and recent milestones
The producer's timeline records RyeLaw as its first official release in 2023, followed by the peated KinGlassie Double Matured and KinGlassie Raw single malts in 2025. RyeLaw is single grain Scotch whisky, not a standard barley-only single malt.
InchDairnie's distilling programme includes different seasonal spirit styles and a Lomond Hill still for RyeLaw. The company's published chronology records B Corp certification in March 2026. Future bottling dates remain plans until confirmed.
What makes InchDairnie distinctive?
RyeLaw is grain Scotch; KinGlassie is peated single malt introduced 2025
InchDairnie whisky bottle and expression comparison
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
InchDairnie RyeLaw | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | RyeLaw is grain Scotch; KinGlassie is peated single malt introduced 2025 |
KinGlassie Double Matured | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | RyeLaw is grain Scotch; KinGlassie is peated single malt introduced 2025 |
KinGlassie Raw | NAS / batch varies | Check bottle | RyeLaw is grain Scotch; KinGlassie is peated single malt introduced 2025 |
This compares documented expressions, not live shop stock. Strength, age, casks and availability can vary by release; check the producer's bottle information.
More distilleries to explore
Frequently asked questions about InchDairnie
Where is InchDairnie based?
Lowland region, Scotland; see article details.
Who owns InchDairnie?
InchDairnie Distillery group
What is an important date in InchDairnie's history?
First spirit Christmas Day 2015
Which whiskies are associated with InchDairnie?
InchDairnie RyeLaw, KinGlassie Double Matured, KinGlassie Raw. Release status changes.
Can you visit InchDairnie?
Confirm tour availability, visitor rules and hours with the distillery; production-only sites may not offer public visits.
Sources and editorial checks
Original historical research and source notes are preserved in this guide. Producer details, distillery access and releases may change.
Help us improve this distillery guide
Know something we should add or correct about InchDairnie Distillery? Share verified facts, bottle releases, awards or useful sources using the form below. Newsletter subscription is optional.
If the embedded form does not display, Open the contribution form in a new tab.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
Comments