Ailsa Bay Whisky Review - ''Now I feel like a cigar"

I need to preface this review by saying that nobody in the EFTM office is a whisky connoisseur or in any way wanky enough to give a full, detailed break down on this bottle – but between us, we sure can drink.

The ‘Ailsa Bay’ is a wonderful scotch by the distillers William Grant and Sons who are famous for Hendricks Gin, Monkey Shoulder and Glenfiddich. So you can be sure that Ailsa Bay is coming from some serious heritage in the whisky space. It sets itself apart from other whiskys in one significant way, it has been ‘data distilled’, this refers to the “most precise distilling process possible through data science“. In other words technology is used to ensure quality control and complete accuracy throughout distillation.

We did a live taste on the EFTM podcast, have a listen here. It will give you a significantly more thorough review than words ever could – and there’s a chance you might enjoy it as well. One of the greats here at EFTM, Bowen is quoted as saying he “feels like a cigar” after a sip.

But if you’re far too busy to listen to a couple of blokes talk nonsense – here’s a summary;

The smell behind the Ailsa Bay single malt whisky is undeniably fruity, light and reminiscent of summer. It smells more like a whisky cocktail than a pure spirit. The notes will tell you to smell “fresh wood smoke and a rich peaty aroma, followed by candied orange peel and oak sweetness” and they were on the money with the orange peel – really nice and fruity.

However it has to be noted the taste is wildly different than the aroma. There’s a significantly smokier aspect to the drink that you really can’t pickup in the smell. The light, fruity taste is definitely present, making it super easy to gulp down. The flavour notes are along the lines of “balanced peat and rich vanilla oakiness, maintaining the same intriguing flavour meandering between smoke, fruit and creamy toffee” and while I haven’t the slightest what peat and vanilla oakiness are supposed to be, I’ll guarantee it’s a beautiful scotch.