Laphroaig 18yo or Ardbeg Uigeadail?

[rmcq]

For the first time I happened to have a bottle of Oogie and a laphroaig 18 open at the same time, so decided to have a show down between the two most popular Islay distillers flagship drams.

I love both, but was very surprised by the timidity of the Laphroaig. It was very soft and mellow, especially compared with the 10yo. A nice development on the 15, but I'm not yet decided if dropping the 15 for this expression was not a criminal offence. I tried this first, and then followed on with some Oogie - which blew my mouth apart. Awesome development, hot, spicy and then soft and warming, with excellent viscosity.

I think the soft Laphroaig lowered my defences with a barrage of arrows, and the Oogie flanked me on both sides with heavy cavalry.

Both are sensational for different reasons, but if I was on a desert island and could only have 1 bottle, I'd hope it would be the Ardbeg - it has more fight.

[jazz lover]

I may make some enemies but Laphroaig 18 for me.
I just do not like the sherry in the Oogie.
I love the Corry.

[Dubois]

Ardbeg Uigeadail for me...

[johan brugge]

Uigeadail without a doubt for me. I didn't really like the Laphroaig 18yo.

[Ganga]

I've always struggled with the murkiness that I get with the Oogie. Love the Beist and generally the Ten. Not big on the Corry, Super or Roller Coaster. I like Laphroaig as well.

For me, it would come down to price point. At $62 for the Oogie and $126 for the Laphroaig, I think it is a pretty easy decision. If the prices are more on par, I'd go for the 18.

[Drammed]

Uigeadail is not my favourite Ardbeg (I too enjoy the Corryvreckan more), but I still find the Uigeadail a more enjoyable dram than the Laphroaig. Something in Laphroaig just turns me off a little, I think it is the diesel smell/taste that I seem to pick up with all of their bottlings.

cheers

[matteo]

I voted the Laphroaig 18yo
I think that Uigeadail has a really distinctive nose, complex...you can keep on nosing it for minutes and minutes, but the taste is bad. It seems to drink water poured into ash tray. I tasted the last version of the Uigeadail, I heard that the very first expression was excellent.

[lexvo]

Tough one. For me, the Arbeg wins by a very small margin. I like both very much.

[Scotch66]

I'm surprised there's a comparison actually. I had an opportunity to buy a Laphroaig 18yo earlier this year after enjoying some other Laphroaigs like the 10yo and 1/4 cask. I found the 18yo quite timid. I am used to Lagavulin 16 with it's sweet smoke & long finish and the in-your-face Talisker 18. I only recently bought the Uigeadail and upon nosing it, I was soooo looking forward to it hitting my tongue. WOW! I was thrilled by the fiery smoke, sweet sherry, and all the other challenging and complex wonders that mother nature imbodied in this whisky. I am set to buy a couple more and feel this is an exceptional, unforgettable whisky. It is seems a wilder and fiestier sister to the Lagavulin 16 IMO...where the Ardbeg is a screamer in the sack and waking up the neighbors...while Lagavulin is deep moaner but just as naughty. As a DD, I take the Lagavulin 16...for a special night, I'm into Oogie. The Laphroaig (sorry to those Laphroaig diehards) that was just a one night stand with a limp fish and I left before morning light without her number.

[Wave]

No vote

Right now Laphroaig 18yo is selling for $130 in my neck of the woods and with my beloved Ardbeg Beist (I know that's not part of the poll) now down to $85 I don't think I'll be getting the pricier Laphroaig any time soon unless I find it much cheaper elsewhere.

Ardbeg Uigeadail is a decent enough cask strength Islay but not as good as my favorite Laphroaig 10 CS.


Cheers!

[Ganga]

Coincidentally I have just been reading this article on Favourite Ardbegs from Luc...

Tis funny but the question was never answered by Luc. Which is his favorite? I don't know. I know which one he rates the highest. I find that several of my favorites are not the ones I rate the highest.

[hyperfuji]

the oogie for me

i had a chance to try the 18 yesterday, it didnt seem like a huge improvement from the 15 to me, at least not with the hike in price. if they were both the same price, i'd take the oogie.

[bardcastle]

Well, after becoming a fanatic only a year or so ago after a trip to Ireland and Scotland, my wife (who clearly loves me very much) bought me two bottles for Christmas, one of them being the Uigedal. I enjoyed it so much that have bought another bottle since (the first bottle I have repeated). I tried the quarter cask recently, and enjoyed it thoroughly as well; it seems ghat my tastes are changing from sweet to peat...I am going to get the Laphroig 18 next week: note to those who complain of price, though it is $150 in Massachusetts, the NH state liquor store lists it for $69.99! I feel it is a moral imperative to buy it if it is that cheap.Thanks to everyone for their comments: similarly, after savoring the Highland Park 12, I splurged on a bottle of the 18, and found it far too timid...

[bredman]

Uigeadail - not as good as the Corryvreckan - but fantastic none the less.

[pkt77242]

An easy one for me as uigeadail runs away with it. I love the sherry/peat combo.

[matteo]

But am I the only one that find the Uigeadail too much similar to a wet ashtray?
I like the nose but the palate is dry, ashes, tannic and stop...I tried the last release and the previous one. I really do not like it.

[schitzengiggles]

Laph 18 gives Oogie a far clipping in my book.
Can't say the same about Nam Beist, however.

[DavidUK]

But am I the only one that find the Uigeadail too much similar to a wet ashtray?
I like the nose but the palate is dry, ashes, tannic and stop...I tried the last release and the previous one. I really do not like it.

Not you are not the only one. After all I had heard about the Uigeadail I was very much underwhelmed when I eventually tried it. Ditto the Corry. IMO the standard 10yo is the best.

Therefore I voted Laphroaig 18 which I think it absolutely wonderful and by far my favourite Laphroaig.

[Willie JJ]

Its a bit like comparing apples and oranges. These two are very dissimilar in both taste, style and price. The Laphroaig is a wonderful sophisticated malt definitely worth drinking, but overpriced, while the oogy is a wild ride, but just about the best value Ardbeg (if there is such a thing these days) on the market. I would be more likely to buy the Ardbeg (I haven't bought a bottle of the 18yo Laphroaig yet) so I voted for that.

[Ganga]

Laphroaig 18 is very much hit and miss in pricing throughout the US. It ranges from $70 to in excess of $150 (Sean, what is the AZ price?). Whereas Uigeadail was pretty consistently $70-100 with a few exceptions above this. The recent reductions in CA have brought the Uigeadail down to $59. I still see the small stores that have prices above $100.

Hey, no criticism, just information.

[talisker10]

Here in Houston at Spec's Oogy is down to $67 and Laph 18 is $73. Still I haven't tried the Laph 18 yet.

[pkt77242]

Laphroaig 18 is very much hit and miss in pricing throughout the US. It ranges from $70 to in excess of $150 (Sean, what is the AZ price?). Whereas Uigeadail was pretty consistently $70-100 with a few exceptions above this. The recent reductions in CA have brought the Uigeadail down to $59. I still see the small stores that have prices above $100.

Hey, no criticism, just information.

Ganga, out here in AZ Sportsman's is selling it for $150 (and has had it for the past couple of months) but Total Wine just got it in for $120 which is better but still too high for my taste. That puts in on par with Mac 18. Nuts I say.

[1Malt]

Sorry for reviving a 2-yr old thread, but I just tried the Ardbeg Uigeadail for the first time and absolutely fell in love. I've probably gone thru 4 or 5 bottles of Laphroaig 18 over the past couple years, it's been my favorite Islay peated malt by far. My local liqueur stores have never had any Ardbeg at all until now, so when I spotted two bottles sitting on the shelf, I had to buy one.

Maybe I was just getting jaded on the L-18, but the Uigeadail is pure win! My new favorite!

I'm going back to the store tonight to get that last bottle if they haven't already sold it by now since I have no idea if or when they'll have any more Ardbeg of any kind and this is the first I've been able to find locally in the 3 years I've been a scotch hobbyist.

BTW, here in north central Texas (Wichita Falls), the Laphroig 18 was going for about $76 per bottle and the Ardbeg Uigeadail is $73, so not much difference in price.