A trip through the lowlands with Ailsa Bay
The Lowlands as a whisky region are fully back in top form, not in the least with the return of its true king: the Rosebank Distillery. With new stills gently purring like the many new distilleries in Fife, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the south and the Borders region, there is no denying the Lowlands are in a renaissance. Flying well under the radar is the William Grant’s outfit Ailsa Bay. A big production site with the capacity to flood the streets of Girvan with 10 million litres every year. Obviously, the main purpose is to provide single malt for blending for the Grant ranges, but some single malt (of which the distillery can produce five different types) has made its way to the market. At the bottom of the chain, one might have noticed Aerstone expressions in the local liquor store. There are also some releases under the name Ailsa Bay. We will taste one today, but first we take an undisclosed aperitive bottled by Douglas Laing in their Regional Malts range.
The Epicurean Blended Malt, Small Batch, bottled at 46,2 % abv
First things first: Bottled in April 2021, this being a blended malt, or a teaspooned malt as we have seen more often in this series by Douglas Laing. I have no idea about the source. Let’s try and see if we can find a clue.
Upon Sipping: Very light and grassy, as a Lowland malt should be, with a slightly creamy off-note. Lots of vanilla, wood spice and freshly mown grass in which someone afterwards rolled some butter. Grass cheese. Not as bad as it sounds, I must add. Just a typical Lowland whiff. The palate has a rather sweetened entry, all on light peaches and some white grapes. Very likeable, with a rather woody finish with strong hints of vanilla and more of those wood spices. Quite an interesting dram with lots of quirky characteristics making this quite a fun ride.
Word to the Wise: If I had to gamble, I would not be surprised if some Bladnoch – Glenkinchie hybrid was created with this vatting. I can imagine it tasting like this then, and it is quite alright.
Score: 79 points.
Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke, bottled at 48,9 % abv
First things first: This a series of Ailsa Bay releases that focusses on micro maturation. This particular expression (bottled in August 2021) was matured in Hudson Baby Bourbon American Oak casks as well as virgin oak. Also mentioned on the label is 022 PPPM and 019 SPPM.
Upon Sipping: Funny, I still have a small bottle of Hudson Baby Bourbon on the shelf here, that I brought back from a trip to New York in December 2008/January 2009. Never opened it though. We put the glass with Ailsa Bay under our nose and are at a loss for words. Sharp, focussed fruity notes enter the nose, with a mix of smoked lemon accompanying it. Some yellow fruits, but the sweet smoke is not there only in name. Very interesting, making this Ailsa Bay a malt you could easily mistake for an Islay expression. But it also has the grassy notes that we found in the Epicurean. On the palate, the whisky is easy to keep silently on the tongue to see what happens. It remains mostly grassy, with hints of smoked banana making me long for a cold smoothie. This is rather a whisky with an old soul. I have tasted peated Bladnoch that I am reminded off by tasting this Ailsa Bay. Which makes me wonder if the Epicurean did not come from these stills.
If nothing else, it all is riddled with Lowland single malt character. And for that, I take off my hat.
Word to the Wise: Interesting stuff, for sure, but a whisky for an afternoon with your equally geeky whisky friends, instead of for an evening of relaxed dramming. Well crafted and almost close to being a category of its own. I am endeared by it, that is for sure.
Score: 80 points.
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