Ardbeg Corryvreckan

You can say something about a single malt whisky fan’s pleasures and preferences based on their answer to one simple question:

Oogie or Corry?

The two high ABV members of Ardbeg’s standard range, Uigeadail (Oogie) and Corryvreckan (Corry), are both beloved Islay peat monsters, and most Ardbeg fans have a preference between the two. Since today is Ardbeg Day at Feis Ile (the Islay festival of music and malt), it seems like a good time for me to weigh in on the debate. I’ve already reviewed Uigeadail, as well as the other expressions that make up Ardbeg’s core range, but I’ve yet to review Corryvreckan.

Fun fact: “Corryvreckan” has consistently been one of the most frequently used search terms here on MeadeMule.com over the past year. And as far as specific whisky expression names—as opposed to distillery names, such as Laphroaig and Macallan (which are also common search terms)—it’s easily been the number one search. So apparently people are interested in a Corryvreckan review. Time to give the people what they demand!

The composition of Corryvreckan is somewhat of a mystery—Ardbeg doesn’t tell us much about the whisky. It’s a no age statement (NAS) expression, bottled at 57.1% ABV, and that’s about all we know from the label. There’s no mention of the type of casks used to mature this single malt, although the generally accepted belief is that at least some part of the whisky was aged in French oak. Virgin French oak? Doubtful. Ex-sherry casks? Maybe. Other types of ex-wine casks? Very possible. But we don’t know for sure. Corryvreckan is as mysterious as the Hebridean whirlpool for which it’s named. (Is the whirlpool a mystery? I don’t know, I’m making that up… but it sounds mysterious.)

Oogie or Corry? Let’s find out.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review

Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Islay
ABV: 57.1%
Non chill-filtered*

*NOTE: The bottle itself does not specifically state that this whisky is non chill-filtered (NCF), but Ardbeg’s website does claim it as such. Considering the ABV, it’s hard to imagine why it would by NCF, but it is strange, since the labels of Ardbeg 10, An Oa, and Uigeadail all specifically state non chill-filtered, while the Corryvreckan label does not.

Nose

Strong and pungent peat smoke. Lemon zest. Oak. Peach. Tar. Seaweed. Campfire. Bacon. Swamp. Smoked meats. Autumn leaves. Freshly cut wood. Chocolate covered raisins. Leather. Old books.

Palate

Deep and earthy peat smoke. Chocolate malt. Orange. Oak. Leather. Peach. Raisins. Meaty. Cinnamon and nutmeg. Strangely juicy, almost like Juicy Fruit gum. Complex and wonderful, specific notes don’t do it justice.

The mouthfeel is full, creamy, and gritty. Quite wonderful.

Finish

Long and powerful. Dark chocolate. Peat smoke. White pepper. Dried fruits. Dry cinnamon. Wood shavings.

Overall

Corryvreckan encapsulates everything I love about Ardbeg, and by extension, everything I love about single malt scotch whisky. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, Ardbeg 10 was my “gateway” single malt. It made me fall in love with scotch whisky and gave me a burning desire to explore all the wondrous flavors that can be found across Scotland, from Islay to Speyside and everywhere in between. And although I still love Ardbeg 10, I now find myself craving even bigger and bolder flavors from peated whisky. Corryvreckan satisfies that craving in a way few other malts can.

SCORE: 92/100

Final Thoughts

So… Oogie or Corry? For me, it’s not even close. As much as I love Uigeadail, I find Corryvreckan to be bigger, bolder, deeper, and more complex. Give me Corry all day, every day.

In my opinion, Corryvreckan is the best of all the core range Islay whiskies that are readily available on the market today. If you love peated whisky, you need a bottle of Corry.

Buy Again? Yes. Here’s a crazy fact: Corryvreckan has actually gone DOWN in price near me recently. It used to be priced in the $100-120 range locally, but now I can find it for $90. When’s the last time you heard about prices going down in the whisky world? (Hint: Never.) When it was over $100, it was only a special occasion dram for me, but at its new (to me) pricing, I will buy another bottle as soon as I polish this one off.

Drink This Not That: Drink this. But be sure to try Uigeadail too. I seem to be in the minority when it comes to the Oogie vs Corry debate, as most people (based on polls and opinions I’ve seen) favor Oogie (those people are wrong ?). If you’re looking for an Islay malt of comparable quality from a different distillery, try either Kilchoman Cask Strength (which I’ll be reviewing soon) or Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength (which is amazing).

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

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