Whisky Focus - Ardbeg Best Single Malt Whisky Under $100

Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Uigeadail and 10 year old named top 3 best whiskies.

There are a lot of whisky awards and accolades that fly around these days and at times it seems like I am inundated will announcements from whisky companies boasting of the numerous accolades their whiskies have picked up. Often it feels like whisky companies are given awards from the numerous whisky competitions that have sprung up over the past few years for simply paying their entry fees into the competition. But one announcement I have to 100% agree with is Ardbeg's announcement that their whisky brand has swept the board in a review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100.

The Islay Distillery’s Ardbeg 10 Years Old, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail expressions were lauded for their exceptional quality and value, taking the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s analysis.

Against a backdrop of surging demand for whisky and rising prices, the American magazine sought to establish the best creations available globally for under US$100. Whisky Advocate explained that "the big surprise was the number of truly excellent Scotch whiskies still available for under US$100". Its team studied the magazine’s database of 2,880 reviews and selected 92 whiskies from around the world, with a rating of 90 or more – and an affordable price tag.

The top of the single malt Scotch category is dominated by Ardbeg, the world’s smokiest, peatiest Islay single malt. First place was won by Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which takes its name from the treacherous whirlpool near the Distillery’s Scottish island home. With a rating of 96, the magazine describes the whisky as "quite stunning". Ardbeg Uigeadail, named after the mysterious loch from which the 200-year-old Distillery sources its water, comes a close second. Praised for being "incredibly complex" by the magazine, it scored a rating of 95. Meanwhile, the "powerful peat smoke" and "thick, oily palate" of Ardbeg Ten Years Old places it right on Ardbeg Uigeadail’s heels, with a rating of 93.

The praise from Whisky Advocate is the latest in a series of accolades for Ardbeg, which was voted Scotch Whisky of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, and named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2013.

If you have a taste for big peaty whiskies and you want to taste some of the best whiskies available under $100 or I should say £65 then you will find all three of these outstanding Ardbeg whiskies available from The Whisky Exchange
 

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