Ailsa Bay SWEET SMOKE Release 1.2 48,9% Vol. 0,7l

Scientifically distilled at 022 parts “peat” and 019 parts “sweet”, then micro matured to a precise balance of oaky sweetness and smoky notes, this award winning new age single malt pushes the boundaries of flavour.

PPM:

THIS IS THE PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF THE ‘PHENOL’ CONTENT IN PARTS PER MILLION. THE HIGHER THE ‘PHENOL’ LEVELS THE MORE ‘PEATY’ THE WHISKY WILL TASTE. AILSA BAY CONTAINS 022 PPM, WHICH IS ASSESSED PRIOR TO BOTTLING GUARANTEEING A MORE ACCURATE MEASUREMENT.

SPPM:

AILSA BAY IS THE FIRST WHISKY TO HAVE AN ANALYSED MEASUREMENT OF SWEETNESS IDENTIFIED. THIS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH A REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS DEFINED BY MASTER BLENDER BRIAN KINSMAN. THE WHISKY IS DEFINED AS HAVING 019 SPPM WITHIN IT, WHICH GIVES IT THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN THE PEAT AND SWEETNESS.

Micro Maturation:

AILSA BAY IS ALSO THE ONLY SCOTCH WHISKY TO UNDERGO A PROCESS CALLED ‘MICRO MATURATION’. THE DISTILLERY’S NEW MAKE SPIRIT IS FIRST FILLED INTO HUDSON BABY BOURBON CASKS THAT ARE BETWEEN 25-100 LITRES IN SIZE, FOR SIX TO NINE MONTHS. THE RELATIVELY SMALL CASKS – TRADITIONAL AMERICAN OAK BARRELS CAN CONTAIN UP TO 200 LITRES OF SPIRIT – ENABLES INTENSE RAPID MATURATION. THE LIQUID IS THEN TRANSFERRED INTO VIRGIN, FIRST-FILL AND REFILL AMERICAN OAK CASKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE PROCESS IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND WITHIN THE SCOTCH WHISKY INDUSTRY.

TASTING NOTES:

Nose:

FRESH WOOD SMOKE WITH NOTES OF SMOULDERING DAMP HEATHER AND AN EXTINGUISHED BONFIRE. FOLLOWING THE SMOKE IS A WAVE OF OAKY SWEETNESS AND VANILLA OAK, CANDIED ORANGE PEEL.

Taste:

BEAUTIFULLY BALANCED PEAT AND RICH VANILLA OAKINESS, THIS SECOND BATCH HAS MAINTAINED THE SAME INTRIGUING FLAVOUR MEANDERING BETWEEN SMOKE, FRUIT AND CREAMY TOFFEE, THIS EXTRA MATURATION PERIOD HAS DEVELOPED DEEPER TOASTY OAK NOTES WITH EVERY SIP.

Finish:

AN INTRIGUING BALANCE OF OAKY SWEETNESS AND PEATY DRYNESS.

MORE INFO

Established in 2007 in the Lowlands, Ailsa Bay is a state-of-the-art distillery. Brian Kinsman and Peter Gordon produce a peated malt there, in a region where the production of distillates, sweet and unctuous, is mainly intended for bottlers and major blend brands.

This "Sweet Smoke" version gives us two values: PPPM for the peat index (Peat parts per million), in this case 22 PPPM, and the sweetness index which is 19 SPPM (Sweet parts per million). This latest information is a first in the world of whisky.

The aging takes place partially in "Quarter Cask", a small barrel which increases the surface of wood in contact with the whiskey, accelerates the maturation and intensifies the aromatic concentration.