Ailsa Bay

Ailsa Bay 1.2 with a visual representation of the data extracted from the distillation process

AILSA BAY SCOTCH WHISKY

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY FOR A NEW AGE

One of the largest Single Malt Distilleries in the world, Ailsa Bay produces up to 12 million litres of single malt per year, but what distinguishes this distillery and whisky from the mainstream is its production methods. Ailsa Bay embraces the latest technology and data driven methods to produce whisky that is scientifically distilled to push the boundaries of flavour and taste.

A relatively young distillery, Ailsa Bay was opened in 2007 by William Grant & Sons on the Girvan site in Ayrshire. This largely automated distillery produces up to four whiskies a year, each with their unique style and meticulously created through world first distilling techniques.

Ailsa Bay is the only whisky in the world to be created based on an industry-first “sweetness” index which pin points the sweetness of the whisky. This complements a precise calculation of the peat absorbed within the liquid to create the perfect balance between smokiness and sweetness – all driven by advanced technology.

It also uses a process called a micro-maturation, a technique where the new spirit is first kept in small Hudson bourbon casks to age for up to nine months. By ‘cask starting’ rather than ‘cask finishing’ the malt, whisky scientists can then layer on a complex matrix of flavours, taking the liquid through rapid, intense maturation and incorporating varying levels of sweetness and smokiness.

In 2019 Ailsa Bay has taken its ethos further into the future and launched the world’s first ever blockchain whisky in partnership with blockchain specialist company arc-net.

Ailsa Bay’s use of blockchain captures the full distilling and manufacturing process so customers can track their whisky from source to store; exposing through technology the whisky’s authenticity through its traceable production life. Blockchain acts as an open ledger managed publicly so nothing can be changed or tampered. In the case of Ailsa Bay, blockchain data including cask types, filling dates and bottling dates are collected from William Grant & Sons.

In short, consumers and Ailsa Bay whisky connoisseurs can indulge their passion for their favourite dram beyond the sensory experience of drinking; they can trace the origins of their whisky via an innovative web experience, which is individually tailored to each bottle.

By scanning a QR code, users are presented with a visual history of their whisky, produced using digitally created art generated by blockchain data unique to the drink’s journey.

Ailsa Bay is the champion of innovation in the whisky space. The blockchain technology is another step towards the future of whisky consumer engagement while its micromaturation for rapid and intense maturation, and the measuring labelling that displays both the PPM (Phenol Parts per Million) and SPPM (Sweet Parts Per Million), brings a new way of thinking to a traditional drink.

The PPM is the precise measurement of the ‘phenol’ content in parts per million. The higher the ‘phenol’ levels the peatier the whisky while Ailsa Bay is the first whisky to have its sweetness analysed and measured. This was borne through a revolutionary process developed by Master Blender Brian Kinsman. The current release, Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 is scientifically distilled at 022 phenol parts per million (PPM) and 019 ‘sweet’ parts per million (SPPM), measured and assessed prior to bottling and guaranteeing the Ailsa whisky unique taste profile. This gives the perfect balance between the peat and sweetness defining the flavour profile and taste of Ailsa Bay made possible by the advances of technology.