Ardbeg Uigeadail
2021 Release | 54.2% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
For a NAS cask strength Islay, this is a flavour bomb that won’t fry your palate
This Is Value For Money Without The Need To Chase
I’ve recently been able to venture beyond the shores of Ireland, thankfully, familiarising myself with the hustle and bustle of airport check-ins, long lines at security and ‘duty free’ offers available at departure lounges. As you can imagine, the shelves were crammed with travel retail releases although not so much Belfast International Airport, which was abysmal.
I don’t think I’d ever seen as many Jura’s, Dalmore’s, and Highland Parks in a small collective space before. A mass of underwhelming packaging, and boxing as far as the eye could see, all meshing together. The standout for me was a Wild Turkey Rare Breed 1 litre bottle for €45, great value. But I digress.
The sheer amount of releases got me thinking. It reminded me of the all too familiar Highland Park release mayhem and enthusiasts not being able to turn their heads without fear of being subject to another special edition ‘Viking’ announcement from the Orkney Island spirit. To me, the same goes for Ardbeg.
Early in my whisky loving nerdism, I registered to be a part of the Ardbeg committee. Not knowing what this even meant and I still don’t to be honest. I was keen to get involved in some type of community, or at least be more aware of upcoming releases by an already lauded Islay single malt scotch. The Ardbeg does have a certain cult following towards it. I had tasted the 10-year-old and absolutely loved it, so why not explore this distillery even more? That’s what makes whisky tasting and exploration so much fun right? By signing up I’d apparently have a say on future committee releases, maybe get my hands on exclusive bottlings and one day I’d get to visit the distillery.
I quickly learned that some of the committee releases (not all) were priced beyond what I was willing to pay at that stage in my whisky journey. Grooves was ~$120, Dark Cove the same price, Blaaack ~$160. It’s still the case now in terms of what I’d pay. Knowing how amazing the 10-year-old is and you’ll soon find out my thoughts on the Uigeadail, what place did these releases have in my whisky journey? Why would I pay over the odds for these highly marketed releases when the core range gives me a great (If not better) Ardbeg experience?
“When even the skies are stormy, the iridescence of the clouds half- hides the pagodas of Ardbeg. This magical headland casts a spell. Around the bay are irises, lilies and a curious scent of saffron. Lovers of Ardbeg become besotted.”
Before I’d even read announcement emails on new releases, they were often sold out. Secondary markets then housed an inflated priced Islay whisky: you all know the trend that I’m describing by now. I was disappointed when I realised this. Alongside Balvenie, Macallan and Yamazaki, these Ardbeg releases were turning into an Instagram bottle & brand. Purchased and collected up by those who’ll never open the bottle, or if they do somehow justify the ridiculous price these bottles fetch, reviewing it along the lines of ‘the best Ardbeg’. I keep going back to a recent Ralfy quote on such high-brow marketing and pricing on whisky, as he described it as ‘trying to be the Rolex of whiskey, and they're making Casio watches.’ Summed up quite nicely.
And don’t even get me started on the whole Ardbeg / NFT nonsense. Non-fungible Tokens (NFT’s) are an absolute waste of time and money. Stay away, save yourself the stress and spend your money on physical assets or a good bottle of whisky. Like the Ardbeg Uigeadail. Nice segue.
Review
Fill date is 29/11/2021, 54.2% ABV
£55-£65 and widely available
The Ardbeg Uigeadail is one of the distillery's core range whiskies, alongside their 5-year-old Wee Beastie and the glorious 10-year-old single malt. It’s one of a few other cask strength, alongside the An Oa and the Corryvreckan. What we have from Ardbeg is a marriage of bourbon barrels and sherry butts. The name Uigeadail (pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’) is the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows on the Kildalton coast on Islay. It comes in at 54.2%, non-chill filtered but no mention of natural colouring on the bottle. Although, it doesn’t look to be coloured when pouring a dram.
Something I’ve never noticed or paid attention to before, on the back label of the bottle displays the text ‘Islay nosed’ above the picture of a small Jack Russell Terrier. Apparently, this is Shortie, who has ‘the peatiest nose on Islay and the Distillery’s loyal canine mascot’. Very good!
Nose
Immediately met with a platter of roasted meats. Beef and ham. Thick cold gravy with a skin on top. Baked potatoes with a large helping of rock salt, that’s fused with soft smoke and a little lemongrass. Cut grass in there adding to some of the greener elements of this, which is a good thing! A little damp wood. Coal briquettes. Eraser rubber from a pencil. Reminds me of a brand-new plasticine pencil case on your first day of school. Briny element to this dram, which is to be expected. It’s randomly putting me in the mood for a bacon & sausage sandwich, those notes are all coming through on the nose for me.
Palate
A lot of sugar sweetness on arrival, think of brown sugar. Soft stone fruits. Lemon curd with campfire smoke. It’s subtle but sublime. A gorgeous espresso element to this pour, which amplifies to a sharp bitterness, which is a good thing. A plate of grilled vegetables, accompanied with boiled ham with an orange glaze. Such an explosion of flavour. A doughy aspect begins to announce itself a bit, it’s like a slice of baguette with a soft dough interior. The mouth feel is cloying with that sweetness, and finished off with pepper, spice, and a dryness on the back end of the tongue. The spice peaks with salted caramel and coffee again with smoke intertwined throughout the sip. Delicious.
The Dregs
I didn’t know what to expect from a cask strength Ardbeg, given how solid and tasty the 10-year-old is each time I pour. This is a very good whisky from Ardbeg, and what surprised me was how utterly approachable and drinkable this cask strength Islay is. I’ve had a few heavily peated cask strengths before, which have been tasty sips, but leave your mouth overwhelmed and blasted with peat and smoke.
The Uigeadail didn’t saturate my palate at all. You can take your time with this dram, picking each note out individually over a good space of time. My next fun task ahead is sipping alongside the 10 to see what core elements are in the Uigeadail and what the sherry brings to life in comparison. It makes me want to go out and purchase the An Oa as well as the Corryvreckan too, so I can sample more cask strength Ardbeg whiskies at, what I believe is an affordable price. And that’s the point I’m trying to make.
Too long have we chased after Campbeltown releases and Islay releases only to miss out or find the prices eye watering to even justify the liquid in the bottle. Here we have a core range with cask strength options that seemingly are quite available AND affordable here in the U.K.
Now there will be those who have tasted Ardbeg over the past number of decades, or lucky to buy a bottle distilled in the 20th century who will argue that it’s not the same. It won’t be the same. I’m not saying that, but it’s still solid. It’s moreish and tasty. This isn’t just one-dimensional smoke, peat, brine, and more peat. I’ve never fancied a bacon & sausage sandwich from nosing a whisky before, while this remains much sweeter and denser than the 10-year-old. I am very glad I purchased this, and the enjoyment factor is very high!
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
Other opinions on this:
Got a link to a reliable review? Tell us.
