Review #3 Ardbeg Uigeadail

ABV:54.2%

Distillery: Ardbeg

Non Chill Filtered

Region: Islay

E150a added

Oak and ex sherry cask

Nose:

On the first nose I am greeted strong alcohol, sweetness and peat smoke. Being bottled at cask strenght this whisky weighs in at a whopping 54.2%! Hit with an immediate dark sweetness that's fighting with the peat. Dark ripe fruits very prominent on the nose, definitely a bit sweeter than Ardbeg 10 on the nose and dare I say I think the sweetness comes across more than the 10? This is an intense interesting dram that has less of the traditional medicinal Islay note and tones the smokieness down compared to the 10.

Palate:

Silky mouth feel, warms the palet in a pleasant way, I find it slightly acidic and it gives the tingling sensation in the way that pineapple or a lime does with really nice bite on the finish that reminds you you're drinking Ardbeg. Such a rich whisky, definitely a dark chocolate or black coffee richness and to a certain extent. Salted Caramel notes give way to the smoke. This beast is absolutely off the charts, again I actually find this less smokey and meaty than the 10 with more . The smoke soon gives way to a honey/syrup like sweetness and actually reminds me a bit of when I used to drink coffee with syrup flavouring. This is quite a unique experience as the whisky is initially very intense on the palette, then eases off giving way to the deeper flavours. This is a perfect example of how sweet and savoury can marry together to produce something sensational.

I actually get a lot of the same mouth feel from the Uigeadail as I do from Brazilian coffee when I drink it black and actually find some fresh espresso notes on the finish. There is a distinct maltyness and oiliness from this dram which lingers for a solid minute after each sip. Lastly on the finish I get a liquorice/aniseed mixed with a marzipan flavour that lingers at the back of the tongue and on the exhale. I really enjoy the sweetness from this dram, although it is less intense than the 10 make no mistake that this is still Ardbeg! The finish is dry and long lasting, Uigeadail is the gift that keeps on giving.

Overall: 90/100

Overall this is a solid whisky and is more than worthy of being in the core collection. I thoroughly enjoy this dram and often find it difficult to choose between this and the 10. When I am looking for something a little calmer Uigeadail ticks all the boxes, less brine, less salt and more sweetness. Like mixing sweet and salty pop corn.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review 5# Glasgow Distillery 1770 Peated Release No.1

Image
Distillery: Glasgow Distillery (Lowland) ABV: 46% Matured in first fill ex-sherry and finished in virgin oak Naturally coloured Non Chill Filtered Nose: This is the second expression from the Glasgow Distillery’s 1770 line up, a youthful peated dram full of character and just begging to be picked apart. On the nose it is bright, sweet and fresh, citrus fruits such as orange is quite prominent on the nose. For me this comes across as an artificial orange note rather than a natural orange. The sherry influence or the heather peat give this dram somewhat of a perfume note. Due to its young nature it feels like the peat literally jumps out the glass and punches you like Mike Tyson would. With 50ppm (parts per million) and being such a young age (around 4 years old according to the representatives at the stall) it hasn’t spent the necessary time in a cask to round out these flavours leaving them really aggressive. Palate: More youthful spirit mouth feel, spicy on the tong...
Read more

Review #2 Lagavulin 16

Image
Lagavulin 16 ABV:43% Chill Filtered E150a added Ex bourbon and sherry cask (I believe?) This is a dram I really wish I could go back to and experience my first sip of again and again. Lagavulin 16 was the first islay whisky I tried and it is an experience that I remember to this day. In a crowded whisky bar with two close friends we picked a dram each at random; I asked the barman what they would reccomend as a classic bold Scottish expression and Lagavulin 16 was what he poured for me. This was the moment that I fell in love with the region of Islay. Lagavulin maintains its position in my core whisky collection to this day and I constantly find myself going back to this dram for good reason! Nose: On the nose I get the scent of a bonfire the morning after it's gone out, a pleasant warming ashyness. I also find Scottish tap water (the best tap water and I will fight anyone that says different). Amongst this harmonious chior of golden nectar I also get a sweet Vanilla...
Read more

Review #1 Ardbeg 10

Image
  Distillery: Ardbeg 10  Region: Islay/Scotland  ABV: 46%  Cask: Ex-Burbon/Mixed Non Chill Filtered Nose: Wow! Just from the spilled whisky on my hands I get an extraordinary peat smoke, unlike the campfire smoke I find in Lagavulin. It really reminds me of the smell of the old encyclopaedias my grandparents had in their old house, a real musty smell for a fairy young whisky. I struggled for a while to put my finger on the last smell and the light bulb finally lit up, smoked salmon, I assume it has something to do with the distillery being so close to the sea. I love the nose on this whisky. In the glass the nose changes for me from time to time and I get the peatyness as well as the smell of new rubber. However from time to time I do pick up on the sweet smell of peaches, peach Schnapps to be exact. I'm always surprised when I find such a bright, vibrant note in such an aggressive whisky. Taste: I again get the taste of new rubber but also a yeasty note similar to ...
Read more