Of all the Scottish whiskyregions, Islay may well be the one that sparks the most imagination. The auras of Lagavulin, Ardbeg or Laphroaig with their bold, outspoken flavour profiles have developed a huge, global fanbase. Add to that their mysterious and near mythical origins and history, the ever growing popularity of the yearly Feis Isle festival in May, the unique location and environment – and it' s easy to see why Islay and its 9 currently operating distilleries have become nothing short of a pilgrimage to many whisky enthusiasts. And while there is indeed nothing short of a cult following when it comes to Ardbeg and while there is also, and very much so, something like a Lagavulin stardom – recently empowered by the likes of Nic Offerman/Ron Swanson, there are plenty of whiskies from Islay that probably won’t find their way in the line-up of usual suspects.
So for the coming weeks, I’ll be taking a closer look at a few Islay whiskies that don’t often get a place in the spotlights, but might well be worth a punt. And to start off with a rather obscure one, let’s take a closer look at an ‘undisclosed’ 8 year old Bunnahabhain from Ainslie’s.
Despite being a lesser known brand today, with a relatively small relevance in today’s market, their story makes for one of those numerous little interesting footnotes in the history of Scotch Whisky.
Ainslie’s (or Ainslie’s & Heilbron Distillers LTD) might not be the most familiar name in the world of Scotch these days, but the firm actually goes back well over a century to 1868, and owned, in the late 1800’s, Clynelish (the old Clynelish, what is now known as Brora). In the aftermath of the Pattinson Crash, they were forced to sell Clynelish before eventually, in 1921, becoming a subsidiary of DCL –predecessor of Diageo. While it’s true that they focussed on blended scotch with brands the likes of (brace yourself) ‘Royal Edinburgh Specially Selected De Luxe’ and ‘King’s Legend’, they also release(d) a number of – usually unnamed- regional single malts. Especially in the post war era, they became quite popular in mainland Europe (mainly the ‘Royal Edingburgh’ brand).
By the end of the 1980’ies, however, the name was dropped by DCL, but when DCL became Diageo in the 1990’ies, Bruggeman a Belgian drinks company specializing in genever, bought the name Ainslie’s, registering it in both Europe and the US, catering acroos the board by further releasing blends, grains and various malt whiskies from different regions. In 2009, Bruggeman was taken over by La Martiniquaise, who also own Glen Moray, although the Belgians remain to this day the license holder in the EU.
So, without further delay, let’s get down to business.
Review 53: The one you (probably) never heard off: Ainslie’s Islay 8 yo (40% ABV, probably chill filtered, fairly natural colour)
On the nose: pleasant and fresh citrus-y sourness, like fresh lemons. Vanilla and custard, meringue, orange peel and a faint hint of saltiness, with just a whiff of ashy smoke. Pleasant, nice balance, but pretty straightforward and perhaps a bit ‘simple’.
The palate adds some more variation: soft wood and spice, and again the citrus notes, making for a medium thin, slightly dry body. A hint of tasted cereal, too. There is a gentle meaty touch to this, followed by hints of ashes and salt. Again all is very unobtrusive and quite straightforward, but it does so in a very appealing way.
The finish is dry and salty, and surprisingly long.
A bit of an atypical Islay, a bit of an atypical Bunnahabhain even. And yet: this is easy drinking all the way, but by no means it’s a dull or boring whisky. In fact, it’s pleasant and excellent bang for buck, one of the better 40% ABV whiskies I’ve had in quite a while. Even taking into account that it took nearly half a bottle to open up, I’m not regretting buying this. It’s got an age statement (good!) and although it’s 40% ABV and was very likely chill filtered, I think they took it easy on the E 150A. It’s easy sipping and budget friendly meaning you don’t have to give this too much thought or attention, but on the other hand it’s engaging enough to deliver some unexpected and pleasant surprises. I’ll be looking to replace this. 82/100
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