When a new Scottish malt distillery sends its very first whisky out into the world, it usually goes to Britain or the United States. Ailsa Bay chose Denmark. It is a detail that tends to please Danish whisky people rather more than it probably should.
The Expert's Description
Ailsa Bay 21 ppm is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured first in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks and then in American white oak, bottled at 48.9%. It is the distillery's very first release, and it had its world premiere on the Danish market.
The phenol content sits at 21 ppm measured in the distillate, giving a clear but restrained smoke, roughly on a level with a Bowmore if you compare the experience rather than the figures. Sweetness was measured at 11 SPPM, the distillery’s own sweetness scale, and that is markedly lower than in the later Sweet Smoke release. This is therefore the drier and more smoke-driven of the two.
The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Ailsa Bay was built in 2007 by William Grant & Sons at Girvan in South Ayrshire, where eight stills can run several different spirit styles side by side.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Smoky and slightly medicinal on first impression, like a muted Islay. Then honey, liquorice and a floral sweetness take the edge off. Dry cereal and a trace of seawater sit at the back.
Palate
Spicy and smoky from the start, with honey and liquorice underneath. Floral notes come mid-palate along with a drier mineral streak that keeps the sweetness at arm’s length. The 48.9% is well integrated: there is strength, but it does not push.
Finish
Short to medium with a firm bite at the close. Smoke and sweetness leave together, and a dry ash note lingers.
Specifications
Name: Ailsa Bay 21 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48.9%
Distillery: Ailsa Bay
Bottler: William Grant & Sons
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Micro-maturation in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks, then American white oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: First Release
EAN no.: 5010327405629
Flavour Profile
Smoky · Spiced · Honeyed · Liquorice · Dry · Mineral
Investment Potential
Medium. This is the first whisky ever released from the distillery, and this expression is no longer in production. First releases from new distilleries often become sought after once the distillery finds its feet, and the Danish world premiere gives the bottle an extra twist on that market.
Did You Know?
Ailsa Bay has eight stills, and they were deliberately built in different shapes and sizes. That makes it possible to produce several different spirit styles at one distillery, something most Scottish malt distilleries cannot do. Ailsa Bay was originally built to supply William Grant blends with malt in many different characters.
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