2021 Holiday Shopping Lists, the Single Malts: Ardbeg Uigeadail

We all have that one friend, relative, or acquaintance in our life/shopping list who practices the Tao of Oscar Wilde: all things in moderation, especially moderation. They don’t want Makers 46, they want something Cask Strength. They don’t want Weller 12, they want Full Proof. They don’t want Macallan 12, they want Rare Cask.

It’s not even clear to you at this point if they’re brain damaged and can’t taste anything below 100 proof, or if the extremity itself is part of the point. Either way, I think I can help you.

Ardbeg has a notoriously cultish fandom that they’ve earned on the strength of their cask/near-cask strength core lineup offerings like Uigeadail and Corryvreckan, although their classic baseline Ten is no slouch. But ever since Glenmorangie took over and reopened the distillery, Ardbeg has consistently embraced being as bombastic as possible while still bottling great single malt. And that reputation of being just on the right side of Almost Too Much is well-known throughout whisky fandom. The fact Ardbeg is self-aware of it and gives winks to it much like Laphroaig’s ad campaigns only makes it more fun.

It also helps Uigeadail is phenomenal whisky. Busting in with a healthy 108 proof and packing an arsenal of peat smoke borne on maritime wind, graham cracker cheesecake crust, honey, orange blossom water, and black pepper, much like the band Foreigner the Uigeadail only lives from one to another extreme. It is somehow simultaneously peat *and* sherry forward, with smoke and sweet being evenly co-dominant forces.

So, if you’re buying for someone (…maybe yourself?) who always fast forwards The Two Towers to the Battle of Helms Deep, and has never owned a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch in their life but has every ECBP batch going beck to B517, then might I humbly offer up the Oog Doll for your consideration.

Image courtesy of Jon who also writes on Low Class & High Proof.

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