Ardbeg Uigeadail, Distillery Bottled
£80.00
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Dark sugar, coffee and soft smoke make up the palate
- Palate opens up with ripe fruit and dark honey notes, and is followed with smokey malt and rich coffee
- Named after the Loch (Uigeadail) where Arbeg get all their fresh water from to make their whisky
- A mix of bourbon and sherry casks have been used to make this rich whisky
- The Ardbeg distillery is found on Islay
- Uigeadail is pronounced Â'Oog-a-dalÂ'
- Type/Colour: Single Malt Whisky
- Alcohol: 54.2%
- Bottle Size: 70cl
- Country: Scotland
Jim Murray's 2009 World Whisky of the Year, this cask-strength bottle exudes breathtaking balance.
Uigeadail derives from the Scotch Gaelic for 'Dark and Mysterious Place' and is named for the Loch from whence Ardbeg draws its waters. Ardbeg lies solitary in a small cove off the south coast of Islay. It was once a stage for illegal distillation when smugglers took advantage of the remote location and exceptional conditions for whisky production. Eventually, excise men seized the original, illegitimate buildings from the smugglers and destroyed them. It was not until 1815 that a legal distillery was established and founded by John McDougall. Sitting nearby leviathan distilleries; Laphroaig and Lagavulin, Ardbeg has always produced a very sought-after single malt, despite its production scale being less than half that of its neighbours. After running into some financial difficulties the distillery closed in 1981 and it was not until 1989 that distillation resumed, although on a very small scale. After closing again in 1996 then owners, Allied Domecq, put the distillery up for sale. It was bought in 1997 by Glenmorangie Co and was, at last, restored to its former grandeur. Its chief watersource, Loch Uigeadail, or Â'dark and mysterious placeÂ' in Gaelic, became the inspiration for a bottling launched in 2003 under the same name. Ardbeg Uigeadail was later Jim MurrayÂ's 2009 World Whisky of the Year, a title held previously by ArdbegÂ's ten year-old. Ardbeg has become known for its rich, peated whiskies, very easily identifiable by their fullness of body and perfect harmony of flavour.
The official date that Ardbeg was established was in 1815 by the MacDougall family, however it is believed illicit distilling took place on the premises some 20 years before. The Distillery fell silent in 1981 due to a global whisky downturn as well as poor management. However, production resumed in 1989, only to fall silent again until the distillery was bought by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. Since then, Ardbeg has become world renowned for its unique style. Today the distillery has an excellent tour, restaurant as well as a global following collecting anything this magnificent Distillery produces. Initially, only a 17 year old was released from old stock with the new packaging. After the huge success of this release, many new bottelings followed with equal success.
At the heart of the range, the 10 year old, with its fruity and peaty style. However, due to popularity some of the earlier releases have been dubbed classics, commanding prices far exceeding their initial list price. Those most noteworthy are the bottleings prior to 1977, when the distillery still did its own floor malting. www.thewhiskyexchange.com