Review 154
4/5/13
Ardbeg Uigeadail: 54.2% abv
Background: Ardbeg is another Islay Scotch
distillery. They are on the southern coast of Islay, and claim to produce the
peatiest whisky on Islay, which is a pretty bold claim with all of the heavy
hitters out there. The distillery is currently owned by Hennessy, and is one of
the fastest growing Islay distilleries at this time. Ardbeg whiskies can be
considered extremely fashionable, albeit this is for a good reason. Ardbeg has
distilled whisky since 1798, but didn’t start producing commercially until
1815. Ardbeg’s flagship product is the 10 year, but they don’t bottle this like
Glenfiddich would. Ardbeg 10 Yr is bottled at 46% abv and is non-chill
filtered, so you can tell this stuff is good. Uigeadail, on a different note,
is a unique bottling of Ardbeg, aged in sherry casks. In 2009, Jim Murray made
Uigeadail the World Whisky of the Year. So this stuff is pretty good. But we
don’t trust it from others. Let’s find out for ourselves.
Straight
Nose: The
nose here is a complex and dry, and there is some really interesting things
happening here. You get the peat and sherry notes pretty instantly, with a very
oily, slightly waxy aroma to it. There is a classic briny character to the
nose, and even has some gasoline-type smell to it. Keep digging, and you’ll
find cashews, rose, cranberry, wood polish, and slight oak. The contrast of
these notes is pretty extreme, and this wouldn’t be a beginner’s nose, but it
certainly is a revolutionary nose.
Arrival: This is
a brutal start. Not in a bad way, but it is intense. The taste starts hot and
spicy, with big cinnamon tastes. The oak tastes come through quickly, with some
vanilla and thick oak notes, also cranberry and subtle apple sweetness.
Body: The
body comes in with big peat, with the spice notes holding through. There is
minor citrus notes, but is overtaken by ginger and dry spice. There is even
some apple and molasses sweetness coming through in the body. Finally, you can
find some smoked wood notes lingering in the body as well.
Finish: The
finish is dynamic and smokey, with a big oily mouthfeel. There are still
cinnamon and sherry notes from the body. The initial cranberry presence is back
from the arrival, and the briny presence is prevalent as well. There is even
some minty and gingerbread notes, with the molasses sticking around and black
pepper as a residual flavor.
With Water
Nose: After
water, the nose is much more balanced. This is an incredible balance, with some
honey notes breaking through, the peat starts to blend in, and there is olive
oil notes coming through as well. The nose is very pleasant now, and there is
not as much burn.
Arrival: The
arrival becomes nuttier after water, less spicy, and slightly peaty. The
vanilla notes are big. Even after a substantial amount of water, there is no
loss of flavor.
Body: After
water, the body remains pretty well the same, but there are some berry-like
bitterness to it, and also angostura bitters.
Finish: The
finish, like the body, remains fairly consistent, with a little less spiciness.
The finish is still very woody, and adds brininess to it.
Final Comments: Uigeadail
is a statement to the maturation of peated whisky in sherry casks, and how good
it really can be. It seems like sherry and peated Scotch doesn’t mix, and they
absolutely can. This Ardbeg is powerful and complex, and it shows of a
different side to a peated Scotch, where the main focus isn’t necessarily how
peaty it can be, not to mention the craft presentation Ardbeg puts on all of
their whiskies. There is no reason not to try this one, because in effect, you
will learn something about Scotch from trying this whisky. At the price, we
think this is absolutely a worthy buy, being one of the better Islay’s we’ve
had to date.
Why you’d buy it: It is
extremely well crafted and complex, and from a great distillery
Why you wouldn’t: You’re
passionate about not buying good whisky
Score: 9.5/10
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