Single Malt Report: Ardbeg Taste Off (part 2 of 3) - Ardbeg Uigeadail

The Ardbeg Taste Off continues!

From Left to Right:
Ardbeg Ten (Part 1)
Ardbeg Uigeadail (Part 2)
Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Part 3)

Each glass held approximately 30mL (about 1 fl oz).  Each whisky was sampled neat.  First, after a 15 minute wait.  Then a second time, another 45 minutes later.

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ARDBEG UIGEADAIL

Distillery: Ardbeg
Ownership: Glenmorangie Plc (Moet Hennessy)
Age: unknown other than a mix of young stuff and old stuff
Maturation: ex-oloroso (35-45%) and ex-bourbon (remainder)
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%

What the hell is an Uigeadail?  And am I pronouncing right?

Nice to see you again Blue Text.  And very good questions.

Don't patronize me.  Just give me answers.

Please.

Uigeadail (pronounced Oog-a-dal) is the name of one of the nearby natural water sources for the Ardbeg distillery.  The name itself is Gaelic, meaning something like "dark and mysterious place".  Since the water from this dark and mysterious place goes into their final products, Ardbeg named this particular dark(er) curious alchemic malt in its honor.

Uigeadail's vowelicious.  Thank you.

You're welcome, now go back to bed.

Made up of 55-65% young whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and 35-45% old whisky matured in ex-sherry casks, Ardbeg Uigeadail was first released in 2003.  It has since gathered considerable critical plaudits.  Jim Murray, in particular, has gone Oogy for Uigeadail, giving it his highest rating ever and naming it World Whisky of the Year in 2009.  The San Francisco World Spirits folks keeping dishing out awards for it.  Serge and the Malt Maniacs are quite fond of it as well.

When it first came out, Uigeadail was a mix of 10 and 13 year ex-bourbon matured whisky, along with some really old ex-sherry matured stuff from the 1970s.  No one except Ardbeg knows the current recipe.  But since 1970s Ardbeg malt is worth a bloody fortune, I doubt they're still putting it into the Oogs.  The distillery was closed from 1981 to 1989, then again in 1996 and 1997 -- so the older element in whisky is either from the very early '80s or early '90s.  Just guessing here.

They've been very good at wrapping this up as a 54.2% ABV dark and mysterious enigma.  That's fine with me as long as they keep putting this stuff out!

Check out all that good poison steaming up the glass.
Then a dark and mysterious reflection...

I don't have a bottle of this one (yet), so I obtained my taste via a sample purchase from Master of Malt.

Round 1 -- neat, 20+ minutes in the glass before tasting

The color is the darkest of the three whiskys (see first pic at the top), a dark gold with sherry rouge highlights.  The nose is tremendous.  I could smell this all day.  Apply carefully as aftershave then strut into the bar at 1:30am.  Sorry, tangent.  The nose starts with honey cinnamon cognac oak, a boozy gelato, molasses cookies.  Then it melts into chocolatey toffee and vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and brandy.  Peat doesn't dominate the palate, as it's well integrated with the whole.  Very malty with drippy caramel and rich cognac.  It finishes sweetly, but hearty.  Thick sugars, cinnamon, toffee, and rum-soaked cake.

Notes:  "...perfect dessert scotch for a cold night."  The best nose of the three whiskys.

Round 2 -- neat, 50+ minutes after the first round

The nose is of the richest vanilla ice cream, topped with fresh berries and chocolate sauce, served with spiced rum.  Then there's more chocolate, like Cadbury's with a peat syrup filling.  At the very end there's a seaside note.  Time has allowed the palate to come out to play.  Sherry and caramel sauce with citrus juice.  A dark berry syrup, mocha, and a sweet peat wallop.  The deliciousness carries over into the finish.  More sherry & peat, molasses & cinnamon, nutmeg, more mocha, and cigar smoke.  But the peat lingers the longest.

Final notes:  It's pretty f**king good.  No, really, it's giving the Corryvreckan a run for the title.

One thing I must stress:  I know that the notes were full of desserty adjectives, but this is a hefty peaty creature.  If you're looking for a non-peated thick dessert single malt for special occasions, I recommend searching out the Glenfarclas 105 or maybe one of the Glendronach casks (or 'farclas and 'dronach's regular ranges for those folks on a budget).

I will admit that this Taste Off is becoming a love-in, but just wait until I get to the Corry tomorrow.

Availability - Many liquor specialists
Pricing - Excellent at $60, I wouldn't pay more than $75
Rating - 94

Single Malt Report: Ardbeg Taste Off (part 1 of 3) - Ardbeg Ten

(Since I'm traveling, there probably won't be more than three posts this week.  That all depends on the quality of the Blogger app on my Android phone...)

By reading this post's subject heading you'll know the matter being discussed this week.  If you're an Ardbeg hater, please return next week.  (And if you are an Ardbeg hater, whattsamatta you?)

I will often exhalt the little indy distilleries while simultaneously poopooing the multinational conglomerate Big Whisky.  It's not that I'm anti-capitalistic, it's that I chose to support small businesses.   They tend to have closer contact with their products and more direct relationships with their customers.  They're also more likely to provide something exciting because in order to succeed as a small business one needs to deliver a product unique and/or better to the market.

Then there's Ardbeg.  Ardbeg is owned by Glenmorangie Plc.  Glenmorangie Plc is owned by Moet Hennessey -- a multinational luxury behemoth.

But I am smitten with Ardbeg anyway.  Why?  Because they've taken their ownership's capital allowance and invested it in exploring malt whisky's potential.  It has resulted in a considerable (please don't call it a cult) following and consistent critical raves.  Personally, I've yet to meet an Ardbeg whisky that isn't a terrific adventure.

On Friday, I experienced significant tumult in my writing career.  So I thought it best to mark the occasion with a Taste Off that I'd been anticipating for some time.  An Ardbeg Taste Off.

From Left to Right:
Ardbeg Ten (Part 1)
Ardbeg Uigeadail (Part 2)
Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Part 3)

Each glass held approximately 30mL (about 1 fl oz).  Each was sampled neat.  First, after a 15 minute wait.  Then a second time, another 45 minutes later.

To begin...

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ARDBEG TEN

Distillery: Ardbeg
Ownership: Glenmorangie Plc (Moet Hennessy)
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrels
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Phenols: 54ppm
Bottle Code: L10 165 12:47 6ML

Yes, I have reviewed this whisky before.

That was in a dark bar, whisky in an open flat tumbler, on a rockin' night.  The notes I'd taken were minimal, the rest of the review was from spotty memory.

Today's NEW report was done in a controlled setting, at home.  The Ten was in a great glass, lined up with other Ardbeg whiskys to compare and contrast.  And these Taste Offs are my favorite whisky experiences because they really allow me focus and explore.  No Taste Off takes less than 90 minutes.

That bar experience happened in late October last year.  Three weeks later I bought a bottle of Ardbeg Ten from K&L Wines.  I opened it almost six months ago and am now down to the final dram.  It's always been fun and my opinion of it has grown gradually.  It's not chillfilltered, probably without caramel coloring, and bottled at a good 46% ABV.

Time for tasting.

Round 1 -- neat, 15 minutes in the glass before tasting

As you may note from the first picture in this post, the color is the lightest of the three -- where Pinot Grigio meets old hay.  The nose starts with fruit bread / fruitcake, then a rush of wet peat.  There's cinnamon, docked fishing boats, and a bonfire in the distance.  A lovely (to me) sooty peat hits the palate first, then rich honey.  Ultimately, it's a bakery full of sweet breads, fruit tarts, and cakes.  That bakery note continues into the excellent finish.  Then peated lemons, maybe a little candied, and a rummy pound cake.

Notes:  It's a peated lemon cupcake.

Round 2 -- neat, at least 45 minutes after the first round

The nose has become much sweeter now, like a rich spicy pudding along with some banana bread.  The peat has eased off, but an oceanic note has emerged further.  The peat soot remains in the palate, well merged with cinnamon toffee syrup (Ed.: that's not a thing).  There's cane sugar or maybe peated rock candy.  The sweets stick around the longest in the finish.  There's some chimney smoke, brown sugar, and honey.

Final notes:  I read recently that at 54ppm, this is the heaviest peated regularly available single malt.  That rings somewhat true on the nose and palate, but it blends so well with a multi-faceted sweetness and a bunch of bakery notes that the peat is no longer the lead characteristic.  Ardbeg Ten may be a heavy hitter but it's not overwhelming.  If you like its neighbors Laphroaig and Lagavulin, you probably won't mind a sip of this.

Availability - Many liquor stores
Pricing - Higher than most 10yrs; Great at $45 or less, don't pay over $55
Rating - 91

Single Malt Report Standings as of June 23 2012

Hope your weekend is going well!  If not, this should put a smile on your face:

To the standings!

(My methodology uses pageview counts from three different sources in an attempt to suss out which posts are spammer heavy and which ones are getting the real clicky traffic.  Then I apply a very (not) sophisticated algorithm.  And from that I get a Top Ten.)

SINGLE MALT REPORT STANDINGS AS OF 6/23/2012 (out of 77 posts):

#10 Powers Gold Label (Blended Irish Whiskey) -1
Powers slips to tenth.  Things are getting closer in the 11th and 12th spots.  A new entry may rise bythe end of next month.

#9  The Macallan 18-year-old Single Malt -1
"My cat's breath smells like cat food." -- Ralph Wiggum

#8  Millstone 8-year-old French Oak, Dutch Single Malt +2
Its slow results the previous week were reversed as more people are clicking for windmill pics.

#7  The Macallan 12-year-old Single Malt -2
Oof.  Mac12 slips.  Results are very close between 9th and 6th place, so there may be a lot of movement between those slots.

#6  Lauder's Blended Scotch Whisky +1
Lauder's ascends again, for reasons totally unknown.

#5 Chivas Regal 12-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky +1
Not only did it challenge fifth place, it is now significantly ahead of any challengers.  Though it'll be some time before it reaches #4.

#4  J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky NC
This one's staying put for a while.

#3  The Glenlivet 15-year-old French Oak Reserve Single Malt NC
She'll be treading water for the foreseeable future.

#2  The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky NC
The answer to last week's question.  The Grouse is the Thunder, not the Heat.

#1  Glenfiddich 12-year-old Single Malt NC
Glenfiddich's second wind continues as it separates itself considerably from #2.

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BIG MOVERS

UP
Bulleit Rye Whiskey zooms up 13 rankings, landing at #38
Strathisla 12-year-old Single Malt zips up 9 spots, now at #36
Powers 12-year-old Special Reserve also jumps 9, now at #41
Michael Collins Irish Blended Whiskey hops up 7 spots to #35
Kilchoman Summer 2010 Release Single Malt (hooray!) jumps 6 spots, landing in 29th
Glen Spey 21-year-old 1988 Single Malt (hooray!) jumps 5 spots to 23rd

DOWN
Bad week for Vegas and Laphroaig
Vegas 2012 edition, part 1 of 4 drops 7 spots to #46
Vegas 2012 edition, part 3 of 4 (includes, amongst others, a Laphroaig) falls 7 levels, now at #47
Laphroaig 18-year-old Single Malt drops 6 rankings, landing at #31
Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon dips 6 spots to #32
Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt falls 6 spots, knocking it the edge of the top 50.  A damn shame because it's a spectacular whisky.

NOTES
The Top Twenty is a great mix of whiskies.  In order:  Scotch single malt, American rye, Scotch blend, Canadian blend, Scotch single malt, Japanese single malt, Scotch blend, Scotch "vatted" blended malt, Irish blend, Scotch single malts.

BAD PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK
As may be derived from the standings and movers data from the the last few weeks, the Top Ten and Top Twenty are stabilizing.  Most of the extreme Ups and Downs happen in the lower rankings due to how closely they sit, view-wise.

Predictions?  That won't change much next week.  Though it would be nice to see a strong rookie or one of the Top Twenty surge up to break through the Big Ten.

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Thanks again to you all!  I'll be back next week with some good 'uns.

Friday Night

Had a odd turn of events in my personal life...

So I decided to do an Ardbeg Taste Off

It vaporized all Sense and Reason

Once I figure out how to frame this in complete thoughts the reports will be promptly posted.

Seriously, Shabbat Shalom.

Happy Friday!

Woke up at 6am this morning to go for a run.

F**k.

How'd I ever do this every morning for three years?

After that, I've got nothing left today, so here's the week's recap.

1. Wedding anniversary
2. Kitchen remodling finished
3. Guests from Sweden stayed with us for three nights.  With baby!
4. Interview with employment agency.
5. Started running again. (See above)
6. Basketball season over.
7. No new Mad Men. :-(
8. Still not paying attention to the election.
9. A truck driver was sentenced to a six-month prison sentence for stealing 180 bottles of Hankey Bannister.  Why?  Just make him drink the Hankey.  That's punishment enough.
10. Zing!
11. And finally, I'm starting to thin out the collection of DVDs I've amassed over the years.  Have plucked 20+ of 'em from the bunch.  May rid myself of more.  If I could sell off my CD collection, I'd do so as well.  Too bad I threw away everything except the discs.  Craigslist here I come!

Finally, may all your weekends be like this:

GREAT beer. (Source)

Single Malt Report: Oban 14 year old

Distillery: Oban
Ownership: Diageo
Age: minimum 14 years
Maturation: refill American oak hogsheads
Region: Western Highlands
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Oban 14 has long been a favorite of mine.  Once I'd tried the Johnnie Walkers, the Glenfiddichs, the Glenlivets, the Glenmorangies, and The Macallan 12, my next step was Oban.  My fall down the single malt rabbit hole quickened from there.

I've probably bought more bottles of Oban 14 than any other single, despite its often unfortunate pricing.  My current bottle came from an unanticipated purchase last December when I found a bottle that was considerably mispriced.  Sadly that liquor establishment has since learned of and corrected its error.

I opened the bottle more than a month ago and have since been trying to figure out how to report on it.  I mean, I am so familiar with the whisky that taking tasting notes became a profound challenge.

It's like trying to describe the sky......It's blue and it's up there.

COLOR

Unlike the sky, Oban 14 isn't blue, but its color is screwy.  Here's a crummy picture that I took yesterday of the liquor in the bottle:

That's the color.  To establish why it is "screwy", let me take a step back and explain the whisky a bit.

The Oban spirit is not aged in ex-sherry casks which provide dark maple syrupy and reddish hues.  It is not aged in first-fill bourbon barrels that provide light golden tones.  Instead it is aged in hogsheads (more than 50% larger than normal bourbon barrels) that have previously held maturing whisky.

So the whisky doesn't have an enormous amount of contact with the oak.  The oak's tannins have been previously incorporated into other whisky.  And the spirit hasn't aged that long in the oak to withdraw darker tones.

So the color should be even lighter than Laphroaig 10's.  Something along the lines of chardonnay with the faintest gold highlights.

Now take a look at that color in the photo above.  That pigment is due to a heapin' helpin' of artificial coloring, aka caramel e150a.  Diageo adds the coloring because it makes the whisky look lovely.  But it's an industrially-designed food additive.

There's a debate in the whisky community about whether or not this dye can be tasted in the palate.  I personally don't know.  It just bugs me because the colorant is unnecessary.  It's like a beautiful young woman getting botox treatment.  You don't need it, Baby, you're gorgeous already!

NOSE AND MOUTH

Here's where I get back to the good news.  Because the oak isn't bourbony or sherried, because the oak has been previously used, what we taste and smell when we sip Oban neat is (mostly) the spirit itself.  There are some oak notes and water has been added to bring the whisky down to 43% ABV, but that salty peppery creaminess is its very malt.  The sturdy spirit not only survives the colorant and filtration and water but it thrives.

Some notes:

NEAT
The nose is salt & malt first.  A little oak, but no bourbon.  A bit of an ethyl prickle.  Salted caramel candies.  Not quite a whisper of smoke, but rather a memory of smoke.  And if you let it sit for a while, an oaky buttery note does form.

The palate is sweet on the start.  Caramel (the sauce, not the colorant).  Toffee.  Apple flesh.  Salty, but within reason.  Pepper rather than smoke.  Substantial creamy texture.  So adding that all up (salt + caramel + cream), it's almost dulce de leche, but also totally not dulce de leche.  Let's just go with the salted caramel candy.

WITH WATER (approx 35% ABV)
The nose logically gets lighter.  Very malty and bready.  A little oak develops with time.  Some gin-like herbals.  And if you sniff really deeply you may find some fruity sweets in there.

The palate becomes very fresh and clean.  Creamier, fruitier.  Less of the salted caramel.  A hint of notebook paper.  But the spritely malt spirit remains.

THE FINISH

Yes, I left the finish out of the notes above.  Why?

I once heard two women moan when the Oban finish hit.  Yes, the good kind of moan.

Amen.

Oh, so you want actual finish notes?  Here's some vagueness for you.  When neat, Oban 14 has a very hearty finish.  Sweet but not saccharine.  Feels like the natural sugars from the malted grain.  And it lingers for a good amount of time.  Adding water quiets it down, bringing out some of the saltiness.  But the sweet note still lingers on.

THOUGHTS

I'd last tried Oban 14 several months before I started these single malt reports.  So there's been a considerable amount of whisky sampling since.  My experience hasn't necessarily lowered Oban 14 in my esteem, just changed it a bit, laterally.

I love experiencing its coastal spirit.  That finish is terribly enjoyable.  And the whisky is like an old (inanimate) friend.  But I have found others.  Other grand spirits, some challenging some easy some warming some thrilling.  So when my Diageo boycott begins next summer, I will be ready to move on.

But maybe one more bottle before then.

Availability - All liquor specialists
Pricing - Not great.  Clynelish 14 (another Diageo single) is $10-$20 cheaper.  If you can find Oban at $60 or less, grab one.  If you find it for more than $70, look elsewhere.
Rating - 88

Wedding Anniversary 02

Two years ago today.

Kristen and I really only celebrate our anniversary on March 13th, the start of our relationship.  Last year, it seemed odd to hit the reset button after seven full years together.  But June 20, 2010 was the most joyous day we've shared, especially since we were able to experience it with so many loved ones.

Life has been a trip ever since.  I'm forever blessed to be sharing this adventure with her.