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.
Over and above the rest, I taste honey-nut Cheerios and am much pleased, thereby.
Nose: best nose in whisky. I love the standard nose of the Ardbeg 10, to me it's so much more complex than a Bowmore, Lagavulin or Laphroaig can manage. The Uigeadail's sherry influence builds on that nose rather than taking away from it (which some sherry casked whisky certainly have issues with). It makes the nose much more complex, with hints of peatsmoke (obviously), ripe apples/pears, lime/citrus, cereal, sugar and coffee. There's also a fresh tobacco hint which reminds me of the pipe leaf tobacco my grandfather used to smoke. Taste: A darkish honey, coffee, tobacco, incredibly tasty smoke and sweet barley. Sweet ripe fruit makes the dram come full circle and binds everything together to a heavenly complex and rewarding taste. Finish: The finish is stellar really. Ripe sweet fruit and caramel start off the aftertaste but the sweet sweet peat smoke, leather, coffee (espresso) beans and fresh tobacco linger on for minutes. Overal: My favorite NAS, my favorite Ardbeg and my favorite whisky below the €100 mark. This is probably the ultimate expression of the wonders of Islay.
At a fist sip you feel punch at the jaw after recovering you start to remember those days by the fire, smoke tastes in your mouth, you smell the ocean and feel the heat from the fire and afterwards loooong and smooth taste of a silky smooth caramel
Effing delicious. Buy it!
