Tastes

Totally overrated. Yes, it’s BT, 10 years old, single barrel, and a bargain. If only it tasted better. Not a typical flavor profile. It’s all char, vanilla, dark molasses, with an odd blueberry note. It desperately needs some sort of brightness to bring it to life. Pretty smooth, not very astringent on the palate, but has a heck of a barrel char bite at the back of the throat.

My first peated scotch (fairly new to this), reviewing from memory, so I’m sure there’s a few flavors I missed. First thing that jumps out is a medium barbecue smoke. Alongside that is a grassy and light honey sweetness which reminds me of a German lager. This isn’t a strongly flavored scotch, but it’s greater than the sum of its parts, and a really comforting drink once you get acclimated to the smoke.

Note to prospective buyers: the dumb bottle design makes this easy to drop, but also surprisingly shatter-proof. Nose: Dominant on the nose is a chemical alcohol smell that’s trying to blend with the other flavors going on - brown sugar, white grape, black tea, and vanilla. But the alcohol note isn’t annoying or unwelcome. It’s nice in its own way. Taste: Not my favorite flavor profile, but pretty well balanced. Nutty caramel and spicy oak throughout. The alcohol translates to furniture polish on the taste, not so nice here. Finish: The real star of the show. The finish is mainly barrel char, but it’s so oily that there’s barely any astringency here. I hope I can find some other bourbons that are as good in this respect. Really not worth the hype, but still pretty good.

I hate how much I love this. Not worth the price in the least, but it’s the best bourbon I’ve tried. I’m a noob who got caught in the hype machine. My next whiskey goal is to find something readily available that can measure up to this.

Apparently this is mostly Ardbeg 10 with only a small percentage of this being sherry casks. Crazy how just that small amount completely changes the character of this whiskey. I’m reviewing this with a little water added, since imo it’s just better that way. Nose: The Ardbeg peat jumps out, pretty ashy. Strawberry jam and vanilla come out too, along with a tiny bit of honey malt sweetness. Palate: The malt sweetness shines much more than on the nose (reminds me of sucralose, which I personally don’t like). But the savory sweetness of the heavy peat and the sherry casks combine to balance it out. Another review described it as “bacon jam,” and I guess that’s accurate enough. Adding water tampers the ash and brings out the fruit. Finish: The finish lingers for a while, if only because the flavors are so strong. Medium bodied and medium oiliness. I’d say the ashiness of the peat, the sweetness of the malt, and the strength of all the flavors combined are just too much for me. The Uigeadail is pretty complex, but it’s not relaxing or comforting in the least. Tasting it is more of an intellectual undertaking than anything.

Surprised they even had this in Louisiana, much less out in the country where I found it. Thankfully it didn’t scan and got it for a good price. Glad I did! Nose: Bright fruits like apples, some salt, a strange creamy note, with peat smoke underpinning the whole affair. The sherry cask doesn’t turn dark or savory since it’s so young. Palate: The peat takes center stage, though not on the level of Ardbeg or the like. The fruit, salt, and cream (must be the malt) mix really well here and fight off the smoke, which is a little spiky. That might read like a flaw, but I love it. The peat was more dominant when the bottle was first opened. Finish: Medium finish, with the sherry and peat sticking around. Not viscous but pretty oily, which I prefer. Great stuff. Would gladly pay up to $70 for it. And notably I think it’s more enjoyable than the Uigeadail.