Another Uigeadailb question...

One way to find out...take a taste...I'll give you a 3 out of 4 chance or better that you will become one of Uigeadail's many fans...maybe right away, maybe after an adjustment. My favourite batch of Uigeadail is still my favourite standard malt whisky, after having tried scores, maybe approaching 200, other malts.

Stronger flavours are present in Uigeadail than in Peat Monster...but strong is an advantage if you like the flavours. You won't know whether you like it until you try some, though...words are not a substitute for the actual experience.

@Bigtuna Uigedail is a great dram.... But i think it isn't what you expect (degree too higher, not very much sherried). But you have to taste it absolutly!

I heartily agree with Victor and Andrea. I don't think any of us can answer your question: "Would I like Ardbeg Uigeadail?"

I might, based on the whiskies you said you like, point you in a different direction. Bowmore 18 offers your sherry and some peat but not an Ardbegian dose. Another one you might consider, if you can find it in your neck of the woods, is Springbank 14 year Fino Sherry Cask. It's definitely got your big sherry, and it has Springbank's typical mild measure of peat. Delicious.

There are certainly other Bowmores and Springbanks, but to my taste, they don't seem to closely match the recipe on your wish list.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society offers its annual Extravaganza in Atlanta on March 21 this year. A great place to taste lots of mainstream and unusual whiskies: www.singlemaltextravaganza.com

Thanks for the replies guys. I may have to just go for it. There is not a very good section here in my neck of the woods, in fact nothing the Cowboy suggested. I can't even find the Ardbeg 10 at any bar to try before I buy. Hopefully I will have better luck next month while I'm out of town for work. Based on what I've read here it sounds like the Uigeadailb is everyone's favorite Islay malt, so why not make it my first. My taste in preferred whiskies has definitely evolved since making the switch for solely bourbons 5 years ago.

Uigeadail has an amazing ability to be both very sherried and hugely peaty at the same time. The peat is big, not to be discounted just because it's 'balanced' by sherry. Where my Talisker DE has sherry sweetness with a hint of the original Talisker in there, Oogie is pinned in both regards.

If you think of your typical sherried Islay scotch as a room, where the furniture is sherry and the walls are peat - the Uigeadail equivalent is the Swiss Alps, where the trees are sherry and the mountains are peat.

My advice is to take very tiny sips, half of what you normally do. It's an experience no matter where your preferences lie, it's not a bottle you're likely to regret buying.

Great analogy Lost Boy!

@lostboyscout Indeed a very nice posting with those nice metaphors. And yeah, you just need tiny sips to get a truckload of flavors. And yes, you just need to buy this bottle and try it for your own!

Btw. I just had a sample for myself, but I am going to buy my first bottle of this great stuff soon. They have a nice offer online which drops the price below 50€. I am smiling while typing this :)

Does this ship to the states? I haven't seen it in my local stores but I don't know if I'm overlooking it. Yhe problem is I'm too stubborn to ask the guys at the stores sometimes.

@Nolinske Yes, it has very good availability for its price point. Someone around should carry it.

@Nolinske I guess they do. The shop says, they ship to non-European foreign countries. But I am not sure what this will cost you. It's a German online shop. Just ordered my bottle plus Aberlour 10yo and Isle of Jura minus 20% price :))

@Nolinske This has lots of availability in the states. wine-searcher.com (please remove link if against forum rules) has a nice tool to see where you can get a bottle if not from your local vendor. Prices are fairly reasonable still considering its current popularity.

Thanks for all the responses! I'm looking forward to getting this one when I find it. I love ardbeg and I am sure this will not dissappoint!

So does it have the bandaid taste and smell or is this where it differs from the 10?

@Bigtuna - Peat is a one-of-a-kind taste and smell for me. I can't compare it to Band-Aids, pine trees, Vicks Vapo Rub, or anything else to which it's been compared. It's peat, plain and simple, and there's nothing remotely like it.

Ardbeg 10 has been called (by someone here?) one of the most unbalanced whiskies in the world, with the peat overriding a potpourri of sweet and sour flavors. Yet it's so delicious that it gets away with it. Consider it the Scarlett Johansson of whiskies: loaded with imperfections, yet as sexy and desirable as a woman can be. (Apologies to the women on this forum if that's a bit sexist, but it's an analogy we guys will understand. My wife says Matt Damon is her Ardbeg 10.)

Uigedail is among the greatest of the great, in my opinion. No balance concerns here, even with its three dozen layers. The 10 yo is for peat lovers, whereas the Uigegail works the peat into a very complex profile. It's a hearty whisky and definitely not kid stuff. There are many sweet notes, including the sherry you enjoy, but there's also an earthy, grassy, leathery quality to it that defies description.

This is one of the most highly praised whiskies in the world. Occasionally, a B-plus-level ranking is about as low as you'll find for it; most whisky fans are positively rapturous about it. It may take you a few drams before you warm to it, but I can't imagine that you'll regret buying it in the long run.

@WhiskyBee Great points I've often wondered if my admiral (wife) keeps me around for my peat collection, I'm not a body double for George Clooney. Lol :)

But what I really can't understand is that Scarlett-analogy. She has imperfections?

I second that @Wills! What imperfections !?

@Wills and @CanadianNinja: Nose a little too big and lumpy. Lips out of proportion (and I like big lips). A bit of an overbite. But put 'em together and the combination works. Like the Ardbeg, she's a 10.

Well I tried the 10 tonight. Peaty for sure, not bad, not the best I've had. Kind of one demential, however it was sweeter than I would have thought. Should I go for the Uigeadail? I would have to buy a bottle if I want to try it. If its richer than the 10 I would be sold. Maybe something to fill the gap between the smokiness and sweatiness. I'm thinking the sherry will or does that in the Uigeadail for what I can tell from the reviews I've read.

@Bigtuna - Buy it. Trust me. Buy it.

I can understand that you consider the 10 to be one-dimensional. But you also seem to like it well enough such that you're ready for the Uigeadail. It has all the good elements of the 10, with the roughness smoothed out by its layers of flavor. Based on what you've said you're seeking, this one has it all.

There's no such thing as a whisky guaranteed to be loved by all whisky drinkers, but this is as close as it gets. "As good as stuff three times the price," according to one review I've read, and I quite agree.

What @WhiskyBee said.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if I like the 16yr Lagavulin, 12yr Lagavulin, 10yr Talisker, Talisker's Distillers Edition, and Ardbeg 10yr then there's probably a very good chance that I'll REALLY like the Ardbeg Uigeadail...

I'm usually not the type to place an order online for something that I've never had before, but from reading the comments here, and elsewhere - I came to the conclusion that I would probably really enjoy this whisky...I placed an order for 3 bottles here sfwtc.com/store/pc/…

@Bigtuna: Grab an Uigeadial - If you like a'bunadh #34 you will love the Ardbeg; if not the first time round, very shortly after. If it sits in your cabinet, open, for a month or so, it will only get better, smoother and more flavorsome! And there are a lot of a'bunadh batches around that are as good as #34 (or better): I have, this evening, opened a'bunadh #44 and have had a small sip before consigning it to my largest decanter. Even at this early, 'thunder and lightning' stage, i would suggest that #44 is a batch not to be missed - There is so much going on! And it's all good!

Good Luck.

Well, when it came down to it I walked away with the A'bunadh batch #44. A'bunadhman's comment pushed me over the edge. It was the last one on the shelf, I loved and just finished my batch 34, and it was about $30 cheaper than the Uigeadailb. Next time I'm back down in SC at Total Wine I may just have to get it. I about turned around and went back for it, but my whisky money was spent and I've got to keep the wife happy. Until then I will keep exploring the Islay malts by the dram and lay down my money once I assess what's out there. I just wish I could find the Uige at a bar.

@FMichael...one word...yes. :)

There is batch variation to be aware of, though the variation does seem to go from "damn good" to "absolutely incredible" so you can't go wrong. See the Uigeadail review by 'Victor' for more info. A great review and some very informative comments.

@Pudge72 How's the current batch? I will be getting a bottle in the weeks to come for my birthday. We finally can get it here in NC.

Well I finally got my bottle! I must say I really like it. Great nose and a punchy peat. It definitely has more depth than the 10. I look forward to it opening up. I will try to write a full review in the next week or so.

@Bigtuna can you tell us what the batch number is? You can find it written in very small white letters on the back of the bottle. I have noticed that recently there are white number written elsewhere on the bottle (sometimes the front, sometimes on the back). The number that will tell us the batch will begin with an L. So something like L12 124 07:15 6ML. It tells you the year (2012) the day of the year (124th day) and the time.

I don't have in front of me at the moment. But I remember the first few numbers off the top of my head. L12 331 ... Peaty for sure, sherry in the background. A few drops of water really brought out the nose and more vanilla in the palette. My first dram really blew me away. I let it sit for about 15 minutes, played a few tunes and had my first sips. The second was more or less straight out of the bottle and sipped. It improved for sure one it got acclimated. I had it straight at first (first dram) and before I finished it I add a few drops of water. I'm not even a peat freak but this good stuff. I would love to try some of the older bottlings. I can see why some said I may like this and not the 10. However, going back to the 10 may be wise. Peaty whisky has been more of an aquired taste for me, like really hoppy beer (which I really love). On a side note I didn't find its strength to me too much, however I'm an A'bunadh fan.

LOL @Bigtuna are you some kind of Rainman? You remember those random numbers from nowhere? Haha great one :D