Tastes

This is a good, sherry-matured Lowland Scotch. It is a bit spicier and drier than my flavor profile would like; but I may revisit this as a dram at a bar. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

One reviewer here at Distiller.com described the Ardbeg Uigeadail as "bacon jam". I wholeheartedly agree. The peat smoke combined with the sherried complexity, creates a meaty savoriness. The palate is the show stopper here. The initial dollop of honey and liquified butterscotch segues to beefy grease, fatty brisket, beef jerky, and caked on BBQ grill. The finish tails into effervescent red fruit notes and BBQ grill smoke. If you don't take to BBQ, you can picture this as rich, pipe tobacco followed by sherried fruitiness and spice. The 54% ABV layers intensity onto the finish, but not the initial palate. This is easily my favorite expression from Ardbeg. I will never go without a bottle of this on my shelf. Note: This is not a beginner's whisky. If you aren't familiar with peated scotches, this will taste like campfire smoke and ashes. But once you're past that, the Oogie is the one ring to rule them all. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

The nose is Ardbeg-heavy with smoke and charcoal, softening to a honey-baked ham. After the initial sip, the nose is more honeyed. The initial palate is intensely-charred wood with sweetness swishing in and out, before finishing with a dominant, bacon note. The very high ABV of 57% is much smoother than anticipated. It's a bit dark and seductive, like Nicole Dörmer - the 'lebensborn' blonde character - in the "The Man In The High Castle" TV series. A teaspoon of water tames the smell to bourbon-cask and citrus notes lent by the French limousin oak. The palate opens up with honey sweetness, while highlighting the smoke into a spicier profile, and muting the bacon element. After buying and, for the most part, enjoying the Oogie and the Ardbeg 10, I am disappointed with this. I had high hopes. The Uigeadail is leagues tastier and lower in price. If money and shelf space were no object, I'd keep the trifecta of the mentioned Ardbegs on rotation. But there are peated expressions from other distilleries that are worth exploring. UPDATE: After having been open for nearly a year, the sweet notes in the bottle have made themselves known. Fused together with the strong peat notes, flavors of savory candied ham predominate the palate. I'm bumping up the rating from 4 to 4.5. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

Smoky ash turns toward sweet heat, with a burnt bacon finish and lingering sour, sweetness around the gums. Big bold flavors that open the imagination to shiny new tires, and gas-fed machinery. Water highlights the sweet flavors, while increasing the dryness of the oak. If this were the only expression from Ardbeg, I'd have a bottle on rotation on my shelf - all the time. However, I'd rather save my money for the Uigeadail. The Uigeadail has everything I want from Ardbeg, and more. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

This tastes like the Juicy Fruit chewing gum sold here in the States, Canada, and the UK. Sometimes, I get a hint of apple. Other times, I taste smoke at the finish. As a single malt, it's pleasant but a bit more intense than blended scotches and even other single malt 12s, like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, et al. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

At the start of my whisky journey, I was familiar only with ex-sherry cask scotches. And I was looking for the ultimate sherry bomb. In retrospect, my palate at the time wasn't accustomed to the high ABV of 59.9% (and really, of scotch in general). Something to consider when reading the following tasting notes: High alcohol proof packs a punch. Concentrated palate. Adding water does not open it up much, flavor-wise. The heat gives you a warm, Scottish hug as the liquid goes down. It's a sherry bomb with low complexity when drinking it at a lower ABV. Will I buy a bottle again? Probably not. But I may revisit a shot of this at a bar. Who knows? I might love it. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."