Whisky Review: Ardbeg Uigeadail

After reviewing Laphroaig’s Quarter Cask last week, it seems like a good idea to follow it up with a whisky from another distillery on the isle of Islay, Ardbeg. Laphroaig and Ardbeg share quite a bit in common. Both make heavily-peated whiskies on the south shore of Islay (they are just down the road from one another, with Lagavulin sitting in between), and both were originally established in 1815.

Uigeadail (pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’) is one of Ardbeg’s three core range whiskies, along with their 10 year old and Corryvreckan (Ardbeg likes to use either age statements or impossible to spell names—I wish they used more age statements). What differentiates Oogie, as it is affectionately called, is the use of older sherry casks to age some (most?) of the whisky. The marriage of sherry and peat smoke is a classic one in the whisky world, and highly desired by many malt fans. The sherry influence, along with the high ABV, has helped make Uigeadail a bit of a cult classic for fans of Ardbeg (or fans of peated whisky in general).

Alright, let’s get to the tasting notes.

Ardbeg Uigeadail Review

Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Islay
ABV: 54.2%
Price: $75
Non chill-filtered

Nose: Chocolate-covered raisins. Dark fruits. Peat smoke. Cherry. Caramel apples. Ocean mist. Quite wonderful.

Palate: Sweet peat arrival. Chocolate malt. More of the chocolate-covered raisins and dark fruits from the nose. On the backend, a mix of fruit—pear, apple, cherry. A touch of black pepper. Somewhat savory, with hints of bacon. Overall, the mix of flavors is quite well balanced, with a rich and oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Long and lingering. Sweet oak. Hints of sherry. Pears. Raisins. Chocolate-covered cherries. Hints of peat smoke and cured meats.

Overall: I originally took tasting notes on Uigeadail a year or two ago. As I tasted my current bottle, I jotted down a few notes and then opened up the original notes I had saved. Chocolate-covered raisins was the first thing I wrote in each set of notes. Actually I was surprised at how consistent my notes were—peat smoke, chocolate, oak, and cherries.

I’m not sure I’d say this is the most complex whisky in the world (although there is a nice amount of depth), but what it does, it does very well. The sherry cask influence is evident and works wonderfully with the classic Ardbeg peatiness. If you like peat in your whisky, and you like sherry cask influence, then you need to try Oogie.

Value: Considering the quality, not bad. Worth the money.

Buy again? Yes.

Score: 88/100

Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page. 

Enjoying the content on Meade Mule? Help keep the drink reviews flowing by supporting me on Patreon.