Ardbeg Uigeadail was initially released in 2003, is made by blending ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks together, and was one of the first whiskies out there to “legitimize” the No Age Statement movement that was beginning to build steam. Its critically lauded reception also laid the path for all of the NAS Ardbeg core and special releases to come which, as time has prove, has been the majority of them.
I recently had a chance to ask Dr. Bill Lumsden about the NAS trend in Ardbeg and Glenmorangie special and core releases and he basically said this (though not verbatim): “If all of our special releases were hamstrung by an arbitrary number we wouldn’t get the range and depth of flavors we get out of them now. Instead of concentrating fully on what it smells and tastes like I’d be forced to keep a number in the back of my mind and should I come across a cracking set of casks that would go great in the release but didn’t match that number I couldn’t use them and that’s not what I want to do. I want to put out the best release I can which means ignoring how many times it’s been around the sun.”
Like I said, that’s not verbatim, but is more of a hodgepodge of snippets I wrote down. Either way though, the fact that he has been able to put out so many interesting and tasty releases that soon fetch hundreds of dollars on the secondary market is a testament that he’s doing NAS right and, at least for him, isn’t just an excuse to flood the market with young, uninteresting whisky.
Ardbeg Uigeadail Review
Distiller: Ardbeg
Age: NAS
ABV: 54.2%
Bottling: L13 148 17:00 6ML
Price: $75
Cask Strength
Non-Chill Filtered
Natural Color
EYE
Amber
NOSE
There is a freshness to the nose that is surprising when you think of what a peat bomb Ardbeg is. Peat, sherry sweetness, dark juicy fruit, warm fruit cake spice, honey and vanilla make up the bulk with lighter notes of dark sweets, brine, citrus peel and a tomato like acidity moving through. Water moves the citrus peel to more of a lemon oil character and some tobacco hints show up.
PALATE
Peat and sweet is the name of the game here. Peat and sherry sweetness dominate the flavor with notes of pepper, graham cracker pie crust, citrus oil and dark sweets filling in most of the background. Light notes of cocoa, honey, vanilla and fruit fill the undercurrent. Water brings out a bit of nuttiness and a bit of bitterness.
FINISH
Long fade of peat and sweet with notes of graham and citrus oil keeping things interesting.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Perfectly balanced with a rich round body and thick oily texture.
OVERALL
Ardbeg Uigeadail is peat and sweet heaven. It’s a perfectly balanced marriage of flavors that is complex enough you can sit back and pick it apart all day long if you want, but approachable enough that you don’t have to in order to fully enjoy it. There’s a reason this stalwart of the Ardbeg core line up has been so highly lauded and awarded over the years. It’s really damn good!
SCORE: 94/100
