Ardbeg Uigeadail

Uigeadail is a peated single malt Scotch from Ardbeg, a distillery best known for the heavily smoked style of Islay. The name is pronounced roughly "oog-a-dal." Expect a bottle in the Islay mold: dense peat smoke up front, with the sweetness of sherry-cask maturation underneath. Bottlings of this expression are generally described as a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, and as bottled at a higher strength than the usual 40 percent. Check the label for the exact ABV and age statement, since this listing doesn't state them. On the nose, expect coastal peat smoke, tar and charred wood, with dried fruit, raisin and dark chocolate behind them. On the palate, styles like this usually pair a briny, ashy smokiness with treacle, toffee and baking spice. The finish tends to be long, with smoke lingering over a bittersweet, coffee-like edge. The smoke dominates, but the sherry influence supplies enough sweetness to keep it from tasting thin or medicinal. Pour it neat first, in a Glencairn glass. The tapered bowl concentrates the smoke and dried-fruit aromas, and it helps to let the whiskey sit a few minutes before the first sip. If the alcohol feels sharp, add a few drops of room-temperature water. That tends to loosen the peat and bring the sherry sweetness forward. A large cube in a rocks glass works for slower sipping, though cold mutes aroma and the smoke can come across flatter as the ice dilutes the pour. In cocktails, use it with restraint. A Rob Roy, the Scotch Manhattan, takes well to a peated malt: sweet vermouth and a dash of orange or Angostura bitters complement the sherry notes, and a small measure keeps the smoke from taking over. An Old Fashioned with a demerara sugar cube and a small amount of this whiskey gives a smoky, richer version of the classic. A Penicillin, the honey-ginger Scotch sour, is a natural use for a smoky float over a blended base. In a highball, a modest pour with soda over ice, plus a lemon peel, opens up the smoke without burying it. Reserve it for these uses, since a standard whiskey sour will usually be dominated by the peat. For food, smoked salmon, aged hard cheeses, oysters, and dark chocolate with a little sea salt all stand up to the peat.