Ailsa Bay 21 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 48,9%

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.

See our full range of Ailsa Bay

Frequently Asked Questions about Ailsa Bay 21 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 48.9%

Why did it have its world premiere in Denmark?

William Grant & Sons chose the Danish market as the first destination when the distillery's first whisky was launched in 2015. Denmark is a small market but among the most whisky-interested per head, and it is not the first time a distillery has used it as a test market.

How does it differ from the Sweet Smoke release?

This one is drier and more smoke-driven. It sits at 21 ppm and 11 SPPM of sweetness, where Sweet Smoke sits at 22 ppm and 19 SPPM. The sweetness is the big difference: Sweet Smoke is markedly rounder, this one has more edge.

Is it comparable to an Islay whisky?

On the nose you might well think of a classic Islay, but the smoke is drier and less maritime, and there is not the same tar and iodine character. It sits closer to a moderately peated Highland than to a Laphroaig.

What does non-chill filtered mean in practice?

That the fatty acids in the whisky have not been filtered out, which preserves more body and mouthfeel. In return the whisky can turn slightly hazy when chilled or watered, which is a sign it has not been treated rather than a fault.

Is it a good bottle for someone trying smoke for the first time?

Yes, though bear in mind this is the drier of Ailsa Bay’s two releases. If you are completely new to peat smoke, Sweet Smoke is the gentler answer. For other light Lowland styles, see our range of Lowland Whisky.

Why build a malt distillery next to a grain distillery?

Because the infrastructure is already there: water, energy, effluent handling and transport. William Grant & Sons had a large grain distillery at Girvan and could therefore build a malt distillery on the same site without starting from scratch.