dhsilv2
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
August 10, 2020 (edited October 12, 2020)
So I don't love reviewing peat, it's just hard to do it. I love it, it's my wheel house but words? Well meh? But now going back to an NAS ardbeg? Oh boy...will I like this still?
nose - So getting some peat, oak, vanilla, I always go to some kinda sweet smelling baby and vomit or spit or something with that sweet milk thing, and at the end a very distinct sherry element. Chocolate and dark fruit smoked over an oak barrel seasoning sauce is kinda what this comes off as. It's very nice but simple. Going back but a clean menthol/mint note.
Taste - So the flavor is a bit more direct and complex. You get that distinct ardbeg iodine and camp fire thing. I'm bad with these terms guys.But you then get a huge sherry note and then mellow vanilla oak and then a finish of a touch of smoke and clean islay malt. Going back - a bit more mint and medical supplies.
I gotta say, I was worried I'd get all this crazy young terrible whisky which has become the ardbeg standard in their recently limited releases. This isn't anything like that. It's not old but it's not YOUNG. It's well made and there is even good sherry casking, not great, on here. Why are the recent limited releases more expensive and terrible? Guys....do more of this but better!
2.75, it's that stupid good.
I'm adjusting this one down to 2.5. I over scored it.
75.0
USD
per
Bottle
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That makes sense, they sure are cutting corners with the limited stuff, so young.
@dhsilv2 They have a gap in their maturing stock from when they cut production after LVMH bought them. That will impact supplies of the 10 year old for a while, so they’re plugging the gap with the younger release.
I thought they doubled their production sometime last year and then boom a 5 year old comes out, perhaps to allow them to try and meet some demand.
Well a good thing then that they are in the process of extending their production facilities big time. Sure, it will be a couple of years since this actually reflects on their output but when it does I’m sure sure we are in for nice things. I’m thinking things like Ardbeg 15/16/18, maybe a proper Distillers Edition, or some nice independent bottlings from Gordon & Macphail and Co. or even some interesting new Compass Box blends. So many options which they just weren’t capable of lately because of limited production volume.
100% believe their quality is dropping, but I also have raised mine. So it's hard to judge which is the bigger difference. There is just so much demand out there.
@dhsilv2 Do you mean that the quality of the core Ardbeg releases has been going down or something else? I'd be interested to know if they were perhaps mixing more younger spirits into their NAS releases than they used to.
There's very little chance I buy a wee beastie just as ardbeg has been so disapointing for me lately. An Oa, I might buy that one again. I liked it my self. I'm not really one of these people who wants their peat young, bold, and nothing else with it. But then I like octomore so I guess I do make exceptions.
I’d be interested in your take on the Wee Beastie...it’s young but not as peaty.
Going through all your Ardbeg reviews looks like there really is a big development difference in older expressions. For the few younger ones that I have had so far I share your assessment. The only one missing from your list as far as I can tell is the “An Oa”, which I actually really enjoyed and liked better than the Uige, Corry and 10y. Would be interested in what you think of that one too.