Review #21: Ardbeg Uigeadail

The Ardbeg Uigeadail aka “The Oogie” was originally recommended to us by an acquaintance as a peat-fiend pleaser, and the OP delivered. Honestly, even for a peat lover like myself, on some nights, it’s just too peaty (heresy, I know!). It is strong and secure in its own peatiness, which is a spectacular treat sometimes (when you want that peat punch to the throat) but sometimes you want something a little gentler. I think in recent bottlings, the sherry gets a bit overwhelmed by the peaty-ness (perhaps more reliance on the bourbon casks) so it can get unbalanced.

However, it’s a very fun dram – and for ~$60/bottle, a pretty good value.

Quick overview of our scoring system

Additional Information

• Cask: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry
• Age: NAS
• ABV: 54.2%
• Labeled as 04/08/2016

About Ardbeg and Uigeadail:

• Ardbeg has produced whisky since 1798 and for most of its history, was primarily used for blends
• Its name, although cute, is actually quite boring: it is the Gaelic word for a “small promontory” (defined as a point of high land that juts out onto a large body of water)
• Releases Committee bottlings available for the members of the Ardbeg Committee that are released before official bottlings
• Uigeadail (“Oog-a-dal”) is a loch that provides the peat-laden water for Ardbeg