Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 “Sweet Smoke” is where tradition meets technology, a whisky born from precision but raised in soul. Crafted at the Girvan Distillery in Ayrshire, it represents a bold new chapter for Scotch: scientifically measured sweetness and smokiness, balanced with an artisan’s touch. The first sip feels like a paradox, campfire and candy, data and instinct, harmony in contradiction. This is modern whisky-making at its most daring.

Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke 48.9% 70cl
Brand: Ailsa Bay | Category: Single Malt Scotch Whisky | ABV: 48.9% | Origin: Lowlands, Scotland | Vol: 700ml

Tasting Profile:
Nose:
Clean and enticing, like burnt sugar over fresh fruit. Sweet vanilla, toasted oak, and light peat smoke weave together with a touch of honey and citrus zest. It’s elegant yet primal, smoke without heaviness, sweetness without excess.
Palate:
Smooth and layered, opening with creamy toffee and malted biscuit before a surge of peat and pepper. Notes of apple, heather, and smoky caramel give texture, while the mouthfeel remains silky and full.
Finish:
Long and balanced, fading with waves of wood spice, subtle smoke, and lingering vanilla sweetness that hums quietly on the tongue.

Production Details:
Ailsa Bay’s Release 1.2 is distilled with scientific precision, every batch analyzed for “sweetness ppm” and “peat ppm” to ensure perfect equilibrium. The whisky is uniquely “micro-matured,” first aged in small Hudson Baby Bourbon casks for intense flavor infusion, then transferred to traditional American oak for balance. This dual maturation gives Sweet Smoke its signature complexity, modern innovation grounded in classic craftsmanship.

Perfect For:
A quiet evening with vinyl and conversation, for those who love peat but crave elegance. It’s equally at home by the fireplace as it is on a rooftop bar at midnight. Sweet Smoke is the dram for thinkers, creators, and those who see beauty in contrast.

Expert Notes:
Critics have praised Ailsa Bay for redefining Lowland whisky with its precision approach. Release 1.2 refines the balance of its predecessor, offering more sweetness against its measured smoke. It’s often described as “a whisky that thinks,” engineered yet soulful, a rare feat in modern distilling.

Customer Reviews:
“Peat with manners. It’s smoky but polished, I didn’t think Lowland whisky could taste like this.”
“The sweetness and smoke trade places with every sip. It’s addictive.”
“I bought it out of curiosity, stayed for the craftsmanship. This bottle made me rethink Scotch.”

Interesting Fact:
Ailsa Bay is one of the only distilleries in the world to use digital analytics to map flavor, literally measuring taste chemistry to engineer consistency and balance. Every bottle is a calibrated masterpiece.

Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy neat or with a single drop of water to enhance its vanilla and fruit notes. For an adventurous pairing, try it with dark chocolate or smoked almonds, the sweetness and peat interplay beautifully.

Distillery Background:
The Ailsa Bay Distillery was built in 2007 within William Grant & Sons’ Girvan complex, named after the nearby Ailsa Craig rock rising from the Firth of Clyde. Though young, it operates with the same attention to detail that defines Glenfiddich and Balvenie, combining cutting-edge science with Scottish heart. Ailsa Bay’s releases are rare, experimental, and deeply respected for pushing the boundaries of what modern Scotch can be.