Space and Whisky

Whisky ends up in all corners of the globe- and as it turns out: space. 

This was not a fact I expected to find out whilst researching for the blog, but in 2011- Ardbeg Distillery, on Islay, were invited to send a vial of unmatured malt whisky into space- whilst another vial was kept at the distillery for comparison.¹

According to the distillery, the three years in space had a noticeable effect on the taste of the whisky. ¹

The Earth sample remained in the Ardbeg style with a ‘woody aroma’ and a fruity taste along with many other complex tasting notes, whereas the space sample has an aroma of ‘antiseptic smoke’ and tasted more of smoked fruits. ¹

I have linked the source article below, and please reach to: community@devondrams.com if you want to explore the tastes of different whiskeys in Devon. (Although we cannot guarantee any of our samples have been sent to space!) Please also reach out if you want to comment on whether a visit to space really would affect the tasting notes of Whisky.

1. Ardbeg reveals results of ‘Space whisky’ experiment (2015) BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-34168471 (Accessed: 12 April 2026).