Whisky : Ailsa Bay 9 Year, Scotch Universe Ceres I

Country/Region : Scotland/Lowlands

ABV : 57.2%

Cask : First Fill Madeira Barrique

Age : 9 Years (Distilled 2011, Bottled 2020)

Nose :  Fruit, malt, and musty antiques.  Fruity notes of strawberry, kiwi, and pomegranate opened up right away while notes of citrus zest, orange blossoms and barley sugars built over time.  Gradually the fruity notes became richer with dried berries, pomegranate juice, and dusty, musty notes of old library shelves and antiques.

Palate :  Medium-thick body with a nice viscosity and rich notes of dried fruits, barley sugars, and antique wood.  Dried orange peel, apricots, and dates arrived on a heady wave of barley sugars.  All sorts of sticky pastries came to mind with orange sticky buns and rolls full of dried berries and cherries.  The mid palate was full of dried leather, book bindings, and archival cartons while barley sugars clung on through the end with a faint menthol.

Finish :  Lingering dried berries and dusty library stacks.

Score : 7

Mental Image :  Archive of the Ents

Notes : Aisla Bay distillery sits in the Lowlands right next to Girvan Grain Distillery upon the site of the old Ladyburn complex.  It is something of a Swiss-army knife distillery, producing whatever type of malt that William Grant & Sons might need to support their brands—especially blended products like Monkey Shoulder.

This was an absolute banger.  It was youthful, but incredibly tasty.  The youth came out with some spirited heat on the palate and a flavor profile that remained relatively simple.  That said, the profile was loaded with delicious rich barley sugars and fruits which transitioned wonderfully toward notes of dusty archives and libraries.  I loved the combination and thought this dram was well-balanced, even after a decade in a first fill madeira barrique.

Overall, this bold fruity dram was a wonderful welcome to Aisla Bay.  I would be curious to try a dram with a bit less cask influence to get a better idea of the malt’s characteristics.

Image Credit : whisky.de