Whisky Review: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Deep, wide, dark, and lush. Warm, salted caramel, smoke, tobacco, cocoa powder, marshmallow burnt over a campfire, and pecan pie. There is a citrus bitterness in the mid-to-late-palate. Reminiscent of chocolate-coated candied orange peel with sea salt. The finish transitions seamlessly with the smoke and peat mingling with a salty sweetness that is full and satisfying. Final Thoughts and Score: Uigeadail is a release that is spoken of in hushed tones and impassioned shouts while also being widely available and fairly affordable. Ardbeg enthusiasts in particular go back and forth critiquing the individual characteristics of particular vintages. While I have myself experienced direct showdowns between newer and older bottles of this dram and lived to bear witness to the varying personalties of each, I can also say that as a regular release Uigeadail retains a level of quality which eludes the vast majority of single malts on the market today. Shorthand: this is tasty as hell. The first question people are likely to have after wondering how to pronounce the various incarnations of Ardbeg is which one is the best. Of course, this is purely subjective, but for my money Uigeadail is where it’s at. Ardbeg loves splashing the word “ultimate” across all of their branding. In this case, I would say that Uigeadail is the ultimate version of regular Ardbeg available on the market today. If you are a newcomer to Ardbeg — or to peated malts in general — I would still point you in the direction of Ardbeg 10 Years Old. There is a lower entry cost should you find yourself begging friends to come over to help you dispose of the contents if you find them unpalatable. There is nothing wrong with that, by the way. The brand is just not a one-size-fits-all single malt, and it does not pretend to be. However, if the 10 scratches you where you didn’t even know you itched, move on up to Uigeadail for your next bottle. Editor’s Note: A sample of this whiskey was provided to us by those behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, keeps full independent editorial control over this article.