Any" Cap top" Uigeadail available?

[MrAwesome]

Can anyone give some info on where I could possibly obtain a bottle or two of the older Uigeadail "cap top" Ardbeg? I've heard it's better than the current bottlings. Most of the retailer website photos show the former box. Thanks

[trs94]

There are a few at the distillery (as of earlier this week)...but when I asked they said there was no difference, other than the old packaging was too expensive.

Todd

[shoganai]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "cap top". Could you be a little more descriptive, or post a link to a picture? I bought a bottle about two months ago and the cardboard box it came is has what could be considered a "cap".

[les taylor]

Hi guys hope this picture helps. The carton on the left is the older style cap type carton. The carton on the right is the new packing. Very boring in comparison.

[shoganai]

Mine is the cap version, and I'm almost positive they had several more in stock. PM me for more info.

[vitara7]

i was wondering what he was on about with the cap top referance.... now i know and both my versions have the cap top

you can clearly see the non cap top box would be less expensive to produce than the cap top versions.

[Sherbs]

I just bought a couple bottles and went to four stores on the weekend all with the cap top. Now you've got me curious about the difference. Anybody know where in Calgary I can find the other style?

[bond]

But how would the design of the cardboard box impact taste of the liquid? Or is it just the "sexiness" of the design that we are talking about?

[les taylor]

But how would the design of the cardboard box impact taste of the liquid? Or is it just the "sexiness" of the design that we are talking about?

Bond the bottles are the same. The whisky will have come from different casks. However I'm sure the good people at Ardbeg have done their best to keep it consisitent. Although I think some have preferred the older versions to the newer. I think the main thing that is desirable is the packaging.

[Leither]

Apparently, the flip-top box contained old (from the 70's) oloroso casks in the mix, the newer style contained (from the later 70's) fino casks.

[peat-chaser]

Well the box is only one point to devide older and newer batches.
The older batches wear a small aditional label on the backside of the bottle´s
neck with the text "bottled 2003" oder "bottled 2004". Since the botteling of
2005 there are no 'neck-labels' anymore.
I didn´t try the "bottled 2004", but I hab a parallel tasting of "2003" and the
new one and I can tell you the older is highly preferable, because in this batch
malts matured in sherry-casks destilled before the closing of ardbeg in 1981
are used, which doesn´t happen any longer.

[MrAwesome]

Leither & Peat Chaser- Thanks for the backround info. Now I know what the differences are between the earlier and later bottlings. If I can locate any of the earlier stuff, I could do my own tasting.

[peat-chaser]

Hi Mr Awesome,

good luck!!

[shoganai]

Well the box is only one point to devide older and newer batches.
The older batches wear a small aditional label on the backside of the bottle´s
neck with the text "bottled 2003" oder "bottled 2004". Since the botteling of
2005 there are no 'neck-labels' anymore.
I didn´t try the "bottled 2004", but I hab a parallel tasting of "2003" and the
new one and I can tell you the older is highly preferable, because in this batch
malts matured in sherry-casks destilled before the closing of ardbeg in 1981
are used, which doesn´t happen any longer.

Interesting info. However, I was a little too excited when opening this one, and ended up tearing off all the foil from around the neck. Now I can't tell what year it was bottled, or if there was even such a label there in the first place.

I'm inclined to say there was not one, as I generally notice stuff like that. But as I said, I was pretty excited to try this one, so who knows.

[pavv]

Interesting info. However, I was a little too excited when opening this one, and ended up tearing off all the foil from around the neck. Now I can't tell what year it was bottled, or if there was even such a label there in the first place.

Of course you can!

On the back of the bottle at the bottom there is a very small and hard to read code on the glass of the bottle (small black letters on dark green glas....)

It looks something like L4 234....... and the answer is quite simple: if it says L4 it is a 2004 bottle.

L5 = 2005
L6 = 2006

L3 = do the math!

[plainly jane]

Now I will share my ignorance with you. When did Ardbeg first start bottling their Uigedail line? What is the Oogling that seems to be so famous?
Thanks.

plainly jane

[Ardbeg311]

My understanding is that the Uigeadail first appeared in 2003 and says "bottled in the year 2003" on the back label (and back of box?). This bottle as well as the second edition in 2004 "bottled in the year 2004" used older sherry casks from the 70's with the result that many have remarked that this new Uigeadail was truly something special. Later bottlings such as the 2005 and 2006 do not indicate bottling year on the back label nor do not seem to have used the older/better sherry casks from the 1970s. Some on the forum, myself included, are of the opinion that the these later bottles are not as wonderfully balanced or as good as the 2003/4. However, I have had later bottles that were still quite good.

One can go to whiskyauction.com and in the “Results” ..."History 2005-2007"....”History Islay A-B” ..find pictures of the older Uigeadail bottles.

The "more famous Oogling" may be the 2003 (probably the hardest to find now). Or you might be thinking of the Committee Reserve Young Uigeadail that was bottled in 2006 and which is quite a bit more expensive and a much more limited release.

[shoganai]

Of course you can!

On the back of the bottle at the bottom there is a very small and hard to read code on the glass of the bottle (small black letters on dark green glas....)

It looks something like L4 234....... and the answer is quite simple: if it says L4 it is a 2004 bottle.

L5 = 2005
L6 = 2006

L3 = do the math!

Thanks pavv. The knowledge of this board never ceases to amaze me.

I'm an "L5". So I guess I have one of the newer versions despite the captop.

Sorry MrAwesome, looks like I gave you a dead lead.

Great stuff nonetheless, and now I'm curious to get my hands on an older bottle.

[plainly jane]

Yes, Shoganai, the knowledge of those on the forum seems vast indeed.

Thanks Ardbeg311 for the information regarding the Uigedails. I have bottle of Ardbeg 2003 (no label on the neck but one on the back of the bottle) in the flip-top box. It does not say anything about Committee Reserve Young Uigedail. Is this an"Oogling" or just one of the first Uigedails on the market?

jane

[bjorn]

Well the box is only one point to devide older and newer batches.
The older batches wear a small aditional label on the backside of the bottle´s
neck with the text "bottled 2003" oder "bottled 2004". Since the botteling of
2005 there are no 'neck-labels' anymore.
I didn´t try the "bottled 2004", but I hab a parallel tasting of "2003" and the
new one and I can tell you the older is highly preferable, because in this batch
malts matured in sherry-casks destilled before the closing of ardbeg in 1981
are used, which doesn´t happen any longer.

Maybe it's just the 2003 bottles with the neck band, because I've got a 2004 without one. The back of the (cap top) box and back label both read "bottled in the year 2004" and the bottle has the "L4" etching. Could anyone provide a picture of the neck-label?

Bjorn

[Sherried Malt]

Can anyone give some info on where I could possibly obtain a bottle or two of the older Uigeadail "cap top" Ardbeg?

Mr. A, I saw a couple of bottles in a liquor store on the Town Green in Guilford, CT called Frank's Package Store. (203-453-2259) I believe the price was $75, but don't hold me to it..

Not affiliated with the store, etc. I stumbled upon a bottle of Balblair 16 yo there this weekend.

Good luck!

[Ardbeg311]

Yes, Shoganai, the knowledge of those on the forum seems vast indeed.

Thanks Ardbeg311 for the information regarding the Uigedails. I have bottle of Ardbeg 2003 (no label on the neck but one on the back of the bottle) in the flip-top box. It does not say anything about Committee Reserve Young Uigedail. Is this an"Oogling" or just one of the first Uigedails on the market?

jane

I am pretty sure now that the "Oogling" is the special Committe Reserve Young Uigeadail and not the 2003 1st edition Uigeadail.

Sherried Malt, are those confirmed "bottle in the year 2004" bottles? Or just Uigeadails with the cap-top box?

[Lawrence]

I can't help it, every time I read the title of this thread, I read "Andy Cap Uigeadail"

[Sherried Malt]

Sherried Malt, are those confirmed "bottle in the year 2004" bottles? Or just Uigeadails with the cap-top box?

Don't know. I just saw the boxes on the shelf and remembered this thread. Didn't check further. I'm sure the shop can answer your question tho...