Ailsa Bay Sweet Smoke Release 1.2

This Lowland distillery, operated by William Grant & Sons, is owned by them and makes whisky in the style of Balvenie. WG&S established the old Girvan facility primarily to create whisky for their blends and reduce their reliance on Balvenie and Glenfiddich malt. They also alternate runs and produce a peated whisky a few times annually. This is their latest peated release: Sweet Smoke. It's also release number 1.2, for whatever that signifies. The PPPM level is 22, and they've also assigned a weighted number to the SPPM (sweet parts per million): 19. So, a new method for quantifying flavor has been invented? Yawn. This release has a straw gold color and produces numerous watery trails and large droplets in the glass. I don't think it has undergone chill filtration, nor do I suspect color has been added. It's bottled at 48.9% ABV, and I purchased it online from the UK for about $60. Ailsa Bay does not distribute any single malts in the North American market. The aroma presented a very prominent, minty peat note: menthol and eucalyptus leaves were most noticeable, accompanied by tree bark and just a hint of honey. The sweetness is not very apparent on the nose, and there's minimal to no cask influence. The taste is also minty and bitter, with the youthful spirit contributing to the sharpness. There's a pleasant sweetness from honeycomb and vanilla, but I find it hard to believe there's an accurate way to quantify it with a specific number. Holding the liquid on your tongue makes it behave more like a mouthwash than a whisky, and the watery consistency really emphasizes this negatively. The finish is brief with hardly any lingering flavors. It does feel somewhat oilier at this stage, but the bitterness made me desperately seek water to cleanse the acetone taste. I believe the primary issue is that the whisky is simply too young. I'm estimating it's under 4-5 years old, and perhaps Ailsa Bay should concentrate on producing blend-ready spirit and cease with the single malt bottlings. That's just my opinion, though. Finishing this bottle was a challenge, and the initial Ailsa Bay I tried about a year ago was also not something I'd seek out. This one only earns 2 stars. I would advise looking elsewhere for non-Islay, peated whisky. This stuff is harsh. Cheers.

Appearance (no score): Amber color. Unable to observe legs due to water-repellent coating on the glass I was using for tasting. Nose: 15/20 True to its name, the nose is both sweet and peaty, evoking campfires on cool autumn nights, with some vanilla and floral notes as well; pleasant but not overly complex. Palate: 34/40 Nice oily mouth feel. Honey is dominant, but there's also caramel, green apples, semi-sweet pastries, and just a touch of vanilla. Finish: 32/40 Medium-long finish. This is where the campfire smoke appears, and it smolders down to ashes as a mild peppery ethanol burn carries through to an end that reminds me of the taste left in your mouth after consuming heavily buttered bread. The finish seems to be primarily a continuation of the palate, not a wild ride for your taste buds, but it builds nicely on the palate. With Water: No significant changes after adding a drop of water; it maybe just slightly tones down some of the smokiness. Total: 81/100 Final thoughts: Purchased this at the Edinburgh Airport duty-free store in 2022. It's not exceptionally remarkable in flavor profile or complexity but is well-balanced and easy to drink, offering good value for the price paid then. If a novice to peated whiskies were to ask for a recommendation, I would suggest this one. Would recommend: maybe Would buy: yes

A generous pour from my neighbor. I had tried this quite some time ago but didn't take any notes. So it's good to revisit and see what's happening here. I appreciate the concept of a “scientific whisky,” but all whisky is essentially chemistry, so this seems to have a marketing focus over substance. Nose: Crisp, juicy, and bright. The aroma is clean and presents a fairly straightforward, soft peat with a hint of campfire and apricot sweetness. Simple and to the point. Well executed, but not particularly memorable. Palate: Heavy, granular texture. Dry peat that reminds me of stubble in a wheat field during a hot, dry summer. There's toasty vanilla, some struck matches, and perhaps a subtle orange oil spritz. Water is needed, in my opinion; it softens the grainy feel, brings forward a lot of ashy smoke (this tastes more like wood smoke now than peat smoke), and reveals some malty character. Finish: The finish is a mild reflection of the palate, fading into vanilla and ashy peat. There's a little pepperiness too. It's medium, but then it's gone. It brings back memories of my judo days. One moment you're upright, the next you're staring at the ceiling, wondering what just happened. In an instant, this is but a memory. I don't really understand the purpose of this. It's okay. Nothing is particularly wrong with it, except perhaps the initially granular texture I perceived. As I adjusted to the ashy peat, I adapted, and that texture lessened. I truly don't get the point, though. It lacks distinct character, and the price point isn't competitive. The "science-based" approach and the smoke and sweet ppm branding offer nothing new. Simply put, it's boring.

Nose: A pleasant, gentle peat smoke like a bonfire, with some sweet citrus and stone fruit notes in the background. Not much else, but what's there is well-executed. Palate: A mild peaty and sweet citrus arrival, closely following the nose. Light notes of sweet hay, vanilla, and cereal emerge as it develops. Some green apple flavor appears near the finish, and adding water significantly enhances the sweet malty and fruity notes. The texture is pleasing. Finish: Medium, but very abrupt. The sweet citrus and orchard fruit notes vanish first, and the smoke lingers a bit longer before stopping suddenly, as if a switch was turned off. This is a brief note as I tried this at a local store today and didn't have much time to savor the tasting (but at least it was served in a glencairn). Very young and straightforward in profile, but enjoyable nonetheless. It is precise and clean but lacks depth. It has less character than some similarly priced peaty blended malts from independent bottlers (like Six Isles or Big Peat) and is also surpassed by almost all other peated single malts in this price range. However, it's definitely well-made, and the only real flaw I noticed was the finish, which was strangely cut short. One moment it's present, then it's suddenly gone. A notably good aspect is the absence of any intrusive ethanol presence – I would have guessed it was 40% ABV. I'm glad to have tasted it, but even on sale ($85 down from $99), I wouldn't purchase it – perhaps if it were half price... "Average": 78/100 (2.75 stars)

The 2019 lowland whisky of the year doesn't always come with a great price tag, given the limited number of distilleries in the Scottish lowlands. This is a relatively new distillery that incorporates peat into its offerings. Could this be a revival for the lowlands? Let's find out... Firstly, this is a whisky of advanced technology. What? Indeed. This bottle features a novel anti-piracy system that precisely identifies the cask, year, and batch, allowing you to confirm "this is not counterfeit whisky." It's bottled at 48.9% ABV and has an amber hue. On the nose, the peat smoke is very faint. Notes of pineapple, very sweet yellow apples, and fresh apple juice are detected. It's juicy and fruity with subtle smoky undertones, quite intriguing. The pineapple aroma is exceptionally accurate. After a while, lemon emerges, very, very fresh and juicy. The peat becomes earthy and peppery after a few minutes. Apricot appears after the first sip, accompanied by a hint of saltiness. It's quite complex. On the palate, it wasn't as intricate but was fairly good. Flavors of peat, toffee, ash, and bonfire are present, with caramel but it's quite watery. The final sip was entirely toffee. The aftertaste has a pleasant peat intensity. Notes of sulfur, burnt fields, salt, and smoke. The pineapple contributes an overall tropical sensation. The empty glass carries a scent of pineapple marmalade; the accuracy of that aroma is remarkable. In conclusion, this is quite surprising and I genuinely endorse it. A score of 91 out of 100.

Nose: Vegetation near the sea, salty air, honey, a recently extinguished campfire, a touch of brine, some flowers, and perhaps egg whites. Taste: Honey, vanilla, crisp green apples, a hint of smoke, and maybe angel food cake. Finish: A medium-short body with coastal and sweet characteristics. It tastes like liquid smoke! It brings to mind Highland Park 12 and Talisker 10, both of which I love. However, the smoke in this is smoother and gentler on the palate, with more sweetness than those two, even without water. It doesn't seem as complex, though, nor does it reveal many hidden flavors after several sips. Overall, a fantastic drink that I knew I had to purchase after trying a sample at the airport. It's great for newcomers looking to explore smoky flavors.