Ardbeg Uigeadil: Textbook Ardbeg-esque Brilliance

Name: Ardbeg Uigeadil
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region: Islay
Age Statement: Nil
Type: Single Malt
Alc/Vol: 54.2%

For those in the world of whisky, the brand Ardbeg needs no introduction. For those who are starting out on whisky, I daresay it is only a matter of time before you find out about Ardbeg! It divides opinion, with those who do not like it staying as far away from it as they can, but for those who love the whisky that flows from this distillery, they will go to war for it. As I had mentioned in my previous post on the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Tasting, there has to be something about this brand that makes its makers proudly proclaim on their standard 10 year old bottling that many people consider it the 'Best Whisky in the World'. A bold claim indeed, but not one without its own justifications.

Ardbeg distillery is one of the famed whisky distilleries on the Isle of Islay. It's famous for its flavourful and impeccably balanced whiskies. Their whiskies are known for a great balance of smoked meat, seaweed and brine, floral, honey, citrus, fruity and barley notes, though once again, one would find that different expressions of the Ardbeg have totally different notes. What does stay constant for most of the expressions, as highlighted, is the Ardbeg's ability to retain both flavour and balance in their whiskies. I guess it is this consistency and depth of complexity in flavours that makes the Ardbeg such a winner in the eyes of those who love it.

This bottling, the Ardbeg Uigeadil, is named after the Loch which Ardbeg gets its water from, it is peat-ladened, hence the flavours of the peat are inherent in the water source itself. As a whisky, it has garnered significant praise from all quarters of the whisky world. Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun scored it a 92/100, whilst Jim Murray lavished a 97.5/100 score on it, awarding it World Whisky of the Year 2009 in the process. Whilst opinion is divided on whether this whisky can count as a true great, there is no dispute that this is certainly a very good dram, and in my opinion, rightly so. This is an astounding dram. It is very complex, yet very balanced, unlike any I have had the honour of trying.

Nose: A very complex yet amazingly balanced nose. Citrus, honey, smoked bacon, the salty-tang of the air of the seaside, light fruits and flowers, vanilla. All on the nose, without a single note dominant over another. (25)


Taste/Palate: Once again it is the balance of the flavours and its complexity that shows through. The initial honied sweetness is evident before the ash-smokiness and brine notes hit. Smoked ham, sea salt, sweet barley, citrus (lemon?) and grape. Nicely layered and harmonised (23)


Finish: The smoky finish carries on to the finish, yet the notes of sweet barley and honey are still evident on the tongue. (23)


Overall: Balance wise, this is a masterpiece of a whisky. Perhaps the lack of a surprise in the finish after the brilliant nose and  palate dampens it just a little, but overall this is truly one great dram. I strongly recommend that one try this to see what the fuss is all about for Ardbeg. (24) 95/100

Found at: La Maison Du Whisky, The Auld Alliance, Highlander Bar