sschaeffer28
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
February 10, 2019 (edited October 25, 2019)
Nose: lightly peaty (much lighter than I was expecting) and DARK. I mean chocolate, and dark fruits (raisins, prunes, and also orange), burnt campfire wood
Palate: Woah. The light and nuanced (but very pleasant) nose is followed by an absolute bomb of flavor. Medium-strong campfire smoke followed by a tasty sweetness. The fruitiness persists along with caramel and nuts.
Finish: EXTREMELY LONG and oily. Salted caramel and freshly roasted almonds, along with bitter chocolate and coffee grounds dry out the finish leading to the next sip.
Water: Completely changed when water was added. The fruitiness subsided, only to be replaced by chocolate, coffee, almonds, and a sugary glaze. This must be what they meant when they described marshmallows by a campfire. Unbelievable with or without water.
My Rating: 5/5 -- I’m in awe. What a perfect balance of smoke and sweet. I took a risk grabbing this one when the peatiest single-malt I’ve had up to this point was Talisker 10. This takes everything I enjoyed in Talisker and kicks it up to well beyond 11, and adds in the darker flavors I prefer in a whisky (like chocolate and dark fruits). Flavors of fruit, sweet, and smoke are boosted, but because they are all elevated, they still balance each other out beautifully, leading to an even more full experience. And this was before I even added water. You could almost call it a different whisky when you add water, as it sacrifices the fruitiness for the dark chocolate and glaze. This could be the most complex whisky I’ve ever tasted so far, and I am beyond elated that I grabbed this on a whim. Excited for what else I’ll discover with this, as it has become my hands-down favorite whisky (of any category). My strongest DOUBLE GOLD.
75.0
USD
per
Bottle
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