The Ardbeg Day Whisky was released in 2012 as that year’s Feis Ile release and was widely available for around $90. A mere 3 years later and you’re going to be hard pressed to find it for anything less than $400. Which demonstrates, yet again, the meteoric rise of not just whisky alone in the last few years, but of Ardbeg as well. It’s a brand that’s seen big changes and innovation over the past few years.
To create The Ardbeg Day whisky fresh distillate was put into refill sherry casks previously used for Uigeadail. After an undisclosed amount of time the casks were mixed together and then married in those same refill sherry Uigeadail casks. This gives it a lightly sherried sweetness that runs throughout. It’s not heavily sherried and the flavor and aroma of sherry isn’t what really shows up, but more the style of sweetness associated with sherry.
Ardbeg Day Whisky Review
Distiller: Ardbeg
Age: NAS
ABV: 56.7%
Price: $400+
Cask Strength
Non-Chill Filtered
Natural Color
EYE
Apple Juice
NOSE
Thick aroma of peat, fruit, smoked meat, toasted malt, vanilla and brown sugar. A cotton candy and sherry sweet undertow with a light spice. Water almost knocks the spice out completely but opens up some notes of honeysuckle.
PALATE
Warm rich notes of peat, smoked meat, fruit and a complex spice imbued with hints of clove, anise, allspice and cinnamon and a light sherry sweetness. A complex dark sweet undertone (brown sugar, caramel, brittle, toffee, butterscotch) runs throughout. Water doesn’t really change it much except to make the spice a little more crisp.
FINISH
Long peaty and fruity with notes of caramel, wood and a sherry like sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Perfectly balanced with a rich round body and thick oily texture.
OVERALL
The Ardbeg Day whisky is just freaking amazing. Thick rich sweet and smoky malty nose, thick rich smoked meat with a brown sugar glaze palate with an overall warm and oily character tying it all together. This is the kind of Ardbeg I want to drink everyday, so I’m glad that Uigeadail exists because from an overall perspective I think Oogie’s better, but this is different enough in a way that I would still love to have it as an alternative. C’est la vie.
SCORE: 93/100
