Full ABV ahead: Ardbeg Uigeadail review

Today, I am cheating. The whisky I am about to review, the Ardbeg Uigeadail, is not a cask strength whisky, and, as such, it should not appear in this series. At best, it can be classified as a batch strength bottling, similar to the Kilchoman in my last review. But even there, you could easily argue that Ardbeg’s Corryvreckan should take its place. At a higher ABV, 57.1% vs the Uigeadail’s 54.2%, it fits better in that batch strength segment.

So why am I cheating and squeezing this review in, ignoring the obvious inconsistency? Because it is a single malt that has a special significance for me. Even when I was just a whisky-curious occasional drinker, the Uigeadail, or Uggie as many Ardbeg fans call it, was one of the fiew bottles I went back to regularly. The mix of Islay peat, Ardbeg character and sherry sweetness always hit the spot back then. Now, I am curious to see how my impressions might have changed, with a lot more tasting experience under my belt. Plus, rules on this blog are more like guidelines.

Ardbeg: specials and core range

If I had to define Ardbeg’s approach to its product releases in one word, it would be, simply, schizophrenic. On one hand, we have the special editions, committee releases, etc. Some are simply stupidly overpriced, something true of many committee releases. Some of the specials are infuriating, like last year’s 17-year-old: an insult to good sense with its 40% ABV and surreal price.

But then there is the core range.  The only whisky in the core lineup I like less is the An Oa. It has its fans. For me, it is a bit too rounded, and the vanilla of the virgin oak comes across a bit too much. It is not a bad whisky, just not to my taste, but the rest of the lineup is something I am always happy to drink. The 10-year-old is the entry-level bottle I would pick to represent Islay in its traditional style. The Wee Beastie has a clear target audience – for me, it is a mood dram. I don’t always appreciate it, but sometimes it really hits the spot. The Uigeadail I am about to review and the Corryvreckan show Ardbeg can release non-age-stated malts full of personality consistently.

It’ll be interesting to see if this trend keeps going. I’ve noticed a lot of special and committee releases from the past two years sitting on store shelves. Even though the market is shrinking, it seems like the paying public’s dissatisfaction with Ardbeg’s premiumization has reached a peak. The latest Eureka! committee release is better priced at 85€. We’ll see if this is a new direction or just a one-off special price to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the committee.

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark amber, more something I would expect in a PX cask aged whisky than in one that uses Oloroso casks. It begs the question:  how much caramel is in here?

Nose: Immediately peaty – slightly medicinal and maritime peat – and peppery, black pepper, which I always seem to get in Ardbeg. Bacon glazed in sweet BBQ sauce. Then the Sherry notes take over, fudge, Christmas baking spices, raisins and dried cherries. There is a touch of farmyard notes, dried cow dung and blue cheese. As it opens up, it settles down: some floral parma violet notes as well a fresh citrus peel accent become more evident. 

Taste and finish: Medium mouthfeel and a bit hot, possibly betraying the youth of some of the spirit. I am immediately hit by maritime seaspray taste, ashy woodfire and black pepper. Banana bread, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and studded with dark chocolate chips. Some Sherry-driven dried fruit. 

The finish is medium long, peaty and maritime, sweet (toffee candy), peppery and finishing on a refreshing citrusy note.

Adding water makes the overall experience lean towards sweeter aromas and flavours, but it also reduces the complexity. Significantly better undiluted for me.

Score*: 7.5, very good stuff, and a bit more

I started this post justifying my decision to crowbar this review of the Ardbeg Uigeadail into this series on cask strength whiskies because of the memories linked to this bottle. Is it as good as I remember? Hard to say, really; memory is a fickle mistress. In my memory, I remember it more medicinal and less farmy and maybe not as sweet. But that might just be my taste changing with time and experience. It’s worth noting that more experienced drinkers than me, who have been drinking this since its 2003 release, often argue that the quality has slipped in recent years.

What I am sure about is that this remains a very solid Islay whisky, one I would have no issue picking up again. Or maybe just one issue, the price. This is a non-age-stated whisky, a high ABV one, but still no statement on the ageing is given. Sure, we are in Islay with higher prices the norm for high ABV vottles, but I still find the price on the limit of what the quality warrants. A 60-65€ price point would be the perfect quality point for the Uigeadail.

While we are at age, I have heard many theories on how old Uigeadail really is. It’s 5-7 years old. No, it’s a mix of the standard 10 year old, at cask strength and younger ex-Oloroso spirit. Wrong again, it’s 11 years old. Out of the three theories, the first two are more plausible. Why would Ardbeg not give us an age statement if the whisky was over 10 years old? Be as it may, Ardbeg continues to deliver a solid core lineup classig with the Uigeadail.

* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points

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Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.

After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Ardbeg Uigedal enjoyed:

Words of whisky

Dramface

Whiskey Vault (feat. Jeff Whisky)

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