Review #8 - 10, Ardbeg 10, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Ardbeg Uigeadail

I will start out by saying I am a fan of peat and it goes without saying that I am an Ardbeg fan. I will rotate between Ardbeg 10 and Laphroig 10 as an Islay daily dram. I also will keep a bottle of Uigeadail on hand as well. Since the 10 year now comes with samples of the other core expressions, I thought it was a good time to post some notes.

Ardbeg 10

Islay- 10 Year - NCF - No Color Added - $46 - 46%

Color - Pale gold

Nose - Big peat, plastic and camp fire come right at you. Lemon then smoke.

Palate - Once again peat, with lemon and pepper, then smoke comes back into the picture

Finish - Medium, dry, - smoke, espresso barley with a nice oily mouth feel.

Overall - 7.5 - I like their 10 year as a daily dram. It hits big, has a good mouth feel and checks a lot of boxes. I do feel the palate just doesn't live up to the nose. This is a lovely entry level Islay. Unlike Laphroig, I think this is more approachable and a good introduction to the southern Islays.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Islay- NAS - NCF - No Color Added - $70- 57.1%

Color - Burnished

Nose - This is a dense nose - The first thing I get is tar, lots of tar. there is some black fruit in there, currents, vanilla, and brine

Palate - Is oily and just coats the mouth. Peat, plastic and tobacco. It overwhelms by palate a bit neat. With a few drops of water, the lovely oily mouthfeel rounds out a little. Again peat, but more briney peat coffee and anise and I pick up some pencil wood

Finish - Long and very dry. Espresso and chocolate

Overall - 6 - This whisky is just not for me. While it is very good, it just seems to beat my palate like a boxer and I don't find myself wanting more. I will say that the mouthfeel is amazing, I wish more whiskys could bring that to the table. I would compare this to Cali Cab that Robert Parker gives a 100 points: While I see why he loves it, it is big and hot and just doesn't sit in my wheelhouse.

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Islay- NAS - NCF - No Color Added - $60 - 54.2%

Color - Tawny

Nose - The first thing that grabs me is fruit cake. Ocean spray and a campfire, like a night at the beach. I get the hints of sherry, a little bit of fig. That campfire, it is dying out, the last big of flames before only embers remain. There is a distinct bit of raisin in there too.

Palate - Big and oily, a blend of sweet and peat. This goes back and forth starting out sweet, and before I can pick flavors it swings back. The peat backs off and I get some cereal and some dessert syrup. Spicy, and chewy,

Finish - Long but not dry as the other expressions (not heavy salivating). Smoke and Raisins, more campfire, more sweet sherried fruit.

Overall - 8 - I have never had peat and sherry marry together so well. While I wouldn't go as far as to call it balanced, the combination is divine. All to often, sherry and peat clash or seem to float on top of each other. This is a unique and great whisky. It is big, so I have to be the mood, but when I am in the mood, it is perfect.

Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying whisky.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner