Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Stuff from the bachelor weekend spa.

I have been saving the last of my slightly mellowed bottle of Ardbeg 10 to pair with this. I’m amazed at the visuals here. Corryvreckan is amber-gold with a deep mauve hue. The nose is sticky, and the first impression is of a bottle of el refresco famoso Sangría Señorial, freshly opened. The nosing then reveals raspberry creme and sweet pipe tobacco. While the peat is shrouded behind the more vinous aromas, patience confirms that this is a seaside whisky. The elixir coats like wax, and it numbs the tongue with sticky, high-proof heat. I experience this dram as meaty and fruity, like pork tenderloin with a raspberry peppercorn glaze. Salted pecans and rich butterscotch also show up in the body, while there are lovely floral overtones like tarragon and clover. The smoldering, 114-proof finish is woody and musty and lasts a lifetime. The aftertaste betrays the wine cask influence as well as chamomile and remnant smoke. Now, to compare it to its sibling, dear Uigeadail. I would be hard pressed to say which was better. They’re both one of a kind. (I know that’s a cop-out, because my father says the same thing, but everyone knows my younger brother is the favorite.) What I can say for sure is that Uigeadail is more enigmatic, whereas Corryvreckan is more voluminous and centripetal (as it’s namesake would imply). It coalesces more, in other words; the wine casks seem to finish off this malt well, adding a flare while tying things together nicely. Like Uigeadail, Corryvreckan is an envigorating and sensational whisky. Even though I sip it slowly, its presence is gladly felt.