Ardbeg Uigeadail Review and Tasting Notes

The Story

Ardbeg's Uigeadail is a tremendously well regarded scotch, previously named as Jim Murray's World Whisky (not just Scotch!) of the Year in 2009.  It predominantly consists of Ardbeg's peaty malt, but it is combined with some whisky aged in ex-sherry casks.  The ratio is thought to be roughly 80:20 with sherry aged malt consisting of the minority.

As you know, I'm a pretty big fan of the Corryvreckan.  I'm also a fan of sherry, although I consider peated malts to be the true definition of heaven on earth.

Thus, Ardbeg's Uigeadail offering sounds like a match made in heaven for me, right?  Made by the artists behind the Corryvreckan.  Some subtle sherry notes mingled in.  And those miles and miles of peat we have come to expect from Ardbeg.

Match made in heaven, right?


Well... mostly.

I'll be honest, I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to, at least not at first.  However, it ended up growing on me.  A lot.  In fact it became one of my top "comfort scotches."

What do I mean by that?

You know those days.  Those days that are kind of brutal at work without being overtly terrible, those days that just kind of wear you out, grind you down.

For whatever reason, those are the days that I reach for Uigeadail.  Something about it just speaks to me in those moments, something about its brutal attack that is every so slightly softened by its sherry side.

But, I digress, on to the Tasting Notes and Review.




Tasting Notes

Nose:  Seaweed, iodine, and peat with an undertone of sherry's woody raisins and apricots.  You'll find cinnamon and brown sugar behind the frontal attack mingled with blood oranges.

Palate:  It hits, and it hits hard.  I don't know what comes first, but smoke, brown sugar sweetness, and seaweed are certainly at the fore.  You'll find the blood oranges again, this time dipped in cream (which is unusual!).  The sherry notes from the nose are surprisingly weak here, although you can find them softening the edges.

Finish: The finish is thick and deep and smoky and leaves the mouth coated with the thick, lingering flavors.


Review

First of all, let me start by saying that this bad boy needs some dilution.  I'm as much a fan of bottling at cask strength as the next guy.  I would much rather have the option to dilute, as there is no option to concentrate when bottled at 40% ABV.

But this is just too damn much undiluted.  I can't enjoy it.

I don't even mean that in a good way like "there's too much flavor."  No, undiluted it's just too damn harsh.  (Note, it loses a point or two for this.)

However, once you've knocked it down a tad - I like ice cold water as my dilutant - it's quite a scotch.  The sherry notes are very light as compared to the heavier peat, but I like the angle it brings.  It gives you something to enjoy and to search for.  Aside from the sherry, it brings all the traditional Ardbeg flavors we have come to know and love.

The flip side is that this is an expensive scotch.  Depending where you get it from, it'll set you back around $80, which is on the upper limit of my price range.  As a result, this won't be a regular member of my scotch cabinet, as much as I'd like it to be.

Naturally, this scotch begs comparison to the Corryvreckan, its counterpart.  I considered which I preferred for a long time before deciding I didn't have a good answer.  They're both strong scotches, and I think the Corryvreckan may have an objectively more complex flavor profile.  At the same time, however, Uigeadail captured a certain "state of mind" for me much better than the Vreckan did.  Uigeadail was always the scotch I reached for after a tough day at work.

In the end, I think they're just different, and it depends what you're looking for.  I'd recommend trying both.


Scotch Dreams Score: 91/100