Single Malt
Scotland
No
Yes
This stunning expression from Islay's Ardbeg distillery on the Kildalton Coast is named after a nearby loch (pronounced "Oog-a-dal"). It's the perfect example of how sweet and savoury notes can work together spectacularly - you'll find Ardbeg's maritime salinity intact here, combined with dried fruit notes imparted by time spent in sherry casks. Kind of like when you mix sweet popcorn and salty popcorn together, it results in something absolutely wonderful.
Multifaceted, notes of peat and little flourishes of dark sugar, freshly ground espresso beans, cereal notes and a most sophisticated tar.
Led by sweet, ripe fruit and black forest honey. A good helping of malt. The throne then usurped by a powerful peat and smoked barley.
Very long, caramel and malt weave their way through peat smoke and dark sugar and just a hint of fresh espresso coffee before it finally peters out.
Such deft balance! How wonderful to sample Ardbeg so beautifully complimented by sherry.
I am a diehard single malt fan who appreciates the quality that goes into these fine whiskies, especially the Islays. A fellow Islay lover with whom I share generally common tastes is especially big on Ardbeg, and so I got myself a bottle of this one based on customer recommendations. And while I can recognize the complexities of the tastes going on here, they are just too overwhelming on the palate. I like a subtle burn, not a fiery one, but with the Uigeadail, it's only the latter I get. (For the record, my Ardbeg-loving friend agrees.) I'm glad some people like this, but it's far, far from being my favourite Islay.
Lots of great stuff going on in here, I would say if you have not experienced Islays before, for some there will be some build up required to work your way into the flavours you are about to discover and for some it just does not resonate and that is o.k.. That being said, there is layers and depth here that just keeps unfolding and coming to life, great with a piece of hard cheese as the salinity plays into the sweet and smoke notes in here.. this is a great bottle to have on hand.
I'm relatively new to the world of whisky but this dram knocked my socks off. Peaty, deep, complex. This Ardbeg has it all. I have yet come across a better single malt, the Ardbeg ten comes close but ultimately comes up short against Uigedail. Utterly magnificent!
I love The Islays or anything nearby that is smoky and peaty. My every day scotch is Ardbeg 10 or Springbank 10, but when I want something special I really like Uigeadail. At 54%, I take it with a few cubes of ice or a stitch of water. If I have guests who prefer something smoother, I tend to keep some Macallans around.
This, My fellow Whisky drinkers, is my first Ardbeg ever. I have heard a lot of Ardbeg, most of which kept me from trying, but after my (almost spiritual) experience with the Balvenie 17 Peated cask, I just wanted a real peated one. I have done with Islay's before, being Laphroag and Lagavulin. I found those to be interesting by their own means, definately not bad, but I just don't buy another when at the shops. I did, however, buy the Ardbeg Uigeadail and I'm now convinced, God sent me a sign. In the sniffer: This was where the first mayor surprice was. Sinece this liqour has touched sherry butts, I'd expect some sherry in the nose, but never this much. Sharp, fresh and inviting with the smoke lurking underneath (and it will come out, given time or a splash of H2O). I got leather and coffee/chocolate and oranges (?). It's a feast for my nose. The sip: I'd expect some spice/burn from the high abv. Second surprice: None came. Instead this whisky layers all over the mouth and start to develop. The sherry first with citrus/orange, then an oaky, smoky sweetnes that increases in intensity. I believe to find pepper in the end. The finish: The finish is dominated by the smoke and sweetness but it is not as long as the Lagavulin 16 or Laphroaig 10. I would have enjoyed a longer finish as it is pleasant, but it's solved by having another sip. Clever. With water: Not tried yet.
