Details
- Price: $80
- Proof: 108.4 (54.2% ABV)
- Type: Scotch – Islay Single Malt
- Age: No Age Statement
- Distillery: Ardbeg
- Visit the distillery page at Ardbeg Uigeadail (‘Oog-a-dal’)
Review
Nose: Ardbeg Uigeadail is a toned down version of Ardbeg 10 as it relates to the nose. There is less smokiness in the scent due to reduced peat in the preparation. The Uigeadail box speaks to a special vatting technique which brings together many varieties of Ardbeg and is finished in ex-sherry casks. The sherry casks bring floral notes to balance the smokiness of the nose. With that said, it’s still a strong peat smell, but it doesn’t compare to other Ardbeg bottles or Laphroaig 10.
Palate: Uigeadail is non chill-filtered and bottled at a high proof for scotch. Non chill-filtered whiskeys are a personal favorite as they eliminate a step in the distillation process which filters the whiskey to remove the ‘murkiness’ of the liquid when placed on ice, but it also removes the wonderful flavors (see the link for more details – Uigeadail keeps its flavor by removing this step). This bottle is a rare find for Degenerates as it offers medium to strong heat that extends beyond the 108 proof labeling, an uncommon treat for scotch. This won’t be for everyone with the bold flavors and added heat. It’s a strong drink that is very enjoyable with the unique sherry cask finish (not a characteristic I often appreciate, but it works well here).
Finish: The finish burns the tongue a bit and makes you feel alive. This is a long-lasting finish; the exact opposite of every high school hookup. You can feel this in your chest as the hair begins to grow on your genitals. This is not for the weak; and honestly, we doubt you are if you’re reading this review. With that in mind, the intense finish (smokiness and scotch notes) gets our endorsement as a great tasting whisky you must try.
Rating
Overall Score: 8.4 (score reflects taste and price)
Ardbeg Uigeadail has some Ric Flair features to it as the 108 proof distilling and non chill-filtration make you go ‘Woooo!’ This is a bold scotch with some nice subtleties to it based on the usage of ex-sherry casks. There is medium to strong heat and a long-lasting finish with intense flavors that give you a decent burn. The peat is slightly dulled compared to other Ardbeg bottles, but this is a must have for whisky/scotch enthusiasts as it combines many unique features in one bottle.
Degenerate Discussion
If we’re making recommendations on this site, the first one has to be that everyone watch the ESPN 30 for 30 on Ric Flair. That man is an animal even among the Degenerate community. For twenty years, he consumed 10 beers and 5 mixed drinks EACH night and once bought 137 Kamikaze shots for the bar. We’re not endorsing everyone pickup these habits, but you have to appreciate that he’s on the planet, walking among us. Who gives a shit about aliens when Ric Flair is railing 15 drinks a night and laying the pipe to over 10,000 ladies…oh yeah, that’s part of the documentary as well (his legitimate answer when asked how many people he slept with). Ardbeg Uigeadail is one of the few whiskeys we can mention in the same paragraph with Ric Flair because of its boldness. If that isn’t a strong enough endorsement for this bottle, we don’t know what is… Cheers Degenerates, and Ric!
Listings
You can find Ardbeg Uigeadail on one Degenerate Top 10 list.
- Top 10 Scotch Whiskeys