The Corryvreckan is defined on Wikipedia as:

The Corryvreckan is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba, in Argyll and Bute, off the west coast of mainland Scotland.

It is possible for tourists to visit the site by way of boat trips from local harbours or sightseeing flights from Oban Airport.

In terms of Ardbeg product lineups though the Corryvreckan is the wine finished Ardbeg. I am one of the rare breed of whisky drinker that likes a red wine finish. Perhaps its an age thing or something but those how enjoy such whiskies are rare but not as rare of the whiskies themselves (other than at Bruichladdich of course).

The Dram

The Corryvreckan is the less talked about NAS cask strength whisky and also the more expensive one at between £60 and £65. Although at 57.1% ABV it has more alcohol in the bottle as well so all is fair at the end of the day. Sadly, again this part of the article is thin because very little is given away by the producer. Just put up the money and buy a bottle don’t expect any information from us is essentially the attitude.

Tasting Notes

Colour – Golden

Nose – Lots of house style peat and bonfires with thick thick smoke.

Palate – a hint of red fruit maybe but actually I am struggling to see what the difference is to the Uig even side by side. Peat smoke and sweetness all of which is balanced by is the sweeter elements differentiable from how the Uig produces it? Hmm

Finish – Another long lasting finish

Final Thoughts

So this is good whisky with lots of Islay peat and intensity but coming at the end of a trio I can’t help but feel underwhelmed. There is a big obvious flavour profile difference between the An Oa and the 10. There is a big difference between the 10 and the Uig/Corryvreckan but the difference between Uig and Corryvreckan is not all that much at all? Why should I spend over £100 buying both then? I probably shouldn’t have is the answer.