About This Dram

What's left to say about Ardbeg Uigeadail that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing to be honest - so I'll keep my words short. It's been named whisky of the year by several whisky reviewers (Jim Murray included), won more gold medals at international awards than anyone can keep track of, and been voted by Ardbeg's legions of fans as the best Ardbeg ever released. Well, Uigeadail (pronounced "oog-a-dal" by the way) is a sherried version of Ardbegs peaty malt, which was the first to truly master that mix of peat and sweet. It's a style that's seen a huge revival since Ardbeg's victory in the 2009 Whisky Bible and has influenced a myriad of the Dram Association's best scoring whiskies - such as the Williamson and the Old Perth 22. It's named after a nearby loch, and well, that's about all you need to know really!  

Tasting Notes

On the nose, we found a soup made of shrimp tail broth, nettles and smoked pork hocks. There was a good hit of smoke and salt, like burning driftwood wrapped in leather. Then a fruitiness appeared. Golden raisins, lime and salted watermelon. The palate gave us red wine jelly on smoked cheddar and digestive biscuits. Sweet barbeque sauce with made winter spices and red berries. There was wave upon wave of smoke, massively flavourful yet somehow gentle at the same time.