Oban 13yo Manager’s Dram Sherry Cask

Oban 13yo Manager’s Dram Sherry Cask

Official bottling

Single malt - West Highlands
Bright gold
62% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, white pepper, lohan fruit, pears, gooseberries, blackcurrant cordial, toast, autumn leaves, hints of chicken stock. With water, autumn leaves, honey, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Ginseng, walnut skins, lohan fruit, autumn leaves, gooseberries, fresh cut grass, sandalwood, hints of smoke. With water, sea salt, chicken stock, leather, gooseberries. 
Finish: Long. Pears, gooseberries, white grapes, autumn leaves, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Oof.  Meaty, fruity, grassy, herbal with layers and layers of smokiness. Ware brings out more frightening on the nose but a savoury sweetness on the tongue. Rightly considered one of the best whiskies.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 20yo 1984/2004 (2004 Special Releases)

Oban 20yo 1984/2004 (2004 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands 
Very pale gold
57.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green tea, grapefruit, lemon juice, yoghurt, sea salt, white grapes, malted grains. With water, green tea, white grapes, malted grains, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Fresh cut grass, grapefruit, white pepper, green tea, leather, wet stones, pencil lead, hints of yoghurt. With water, wet stones, grapefruit, pencil lead, lemon juice. 
Finish: Short. Sea salt, lemon juice, leather, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Excellent, feinty, lots of minerally goodness, but this time with a lot of citrus and green tea. I love these complex, slightly saline whiskies.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 26yo 1996/2022 Prima and Ultima

Oban 26yo 1996/2022 Prima and Última

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Golden brown 
55.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, toffee, autumn leaves, wet stones, grapefruit, sea salt, hints of roast chicken. With water, toffee, grapefruit, candle wax, hints of roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, mouth coating, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Grapefruit, bay leaves, autumn leaves, sea salt, camphor, ginseng, lemon juice, hints of raisins, hints of toffee. With water, malted grains, bay leaves, lemon juice, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Bay leaves, lemon juice, sea salt, raisins. 

Comments: 

Layered fruity, feinty, mineral and very, very complex. Stuff makes it into the Prima and Última range for a reason, and this whisky fully deserves its place. Top 1% stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban Private Cask 1989/2013

Oban Private Cask 1989/2013

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands 
Yellow bronze
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Aluminium foil, honey, lemon zest, wet stones, gooseberries, white grapes, smoke, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Gooseberries, white grapes, winter melons, smoke, honey, wet stones, malted grains, dark chocolate, hints of peat. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, coffee, dark chocolate, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Minerally yet fruity, this has some age in it and good interaction with the cask. There’s plenty of chocolate bad coffee, especially on the finish. Very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 14yo 200th Anniversary Special Edition

Oban 14yo 200th Anniversary Special Edition 

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Yellow gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, pears, honey, white pepper, applesauce, cinnamon, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Pears, gooseberries, white grapes, malted grains, cinnamon, vanilla custard, smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, vanilla custard, white pepper, gooseberries. 

Comments: 

Fruity and intense, more intense than the regular Oban 14. Lots of custard notes, and the smoke is also more prominent. This is really great stuff, showcases the distillery character.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 11yo Handfilled Exclusive Batch 5

Oban 11yo Handfilled Exclusive Batch 5

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Dark gold
57.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Photocopy paper, cotton sheets, lemon juice, cinder toffee, sea salt, hints of apricot jam. With water, peaches, pear drops, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon juice, peaches, cinder toffee, leather, cotton sheets, white grapes. With water, malted grains, white grapes, apricot jam, rye bread. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, cinder toffee, white grapes, white pepper, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Feinty, but with that salty marine lemony flavours. Water brings in apricot jam and more cereal, on the tongue, and leads to a nice long slightly smoky finish. Again, great whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban Distillery Exclusive Batch 3

Oban Distillery Exclusive Batch 3

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Bronze
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, malted grains, white pepper, photocopy paper, sea salt, white grapes, hints of yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Leather, malted grains, white pepper, gooseberries, white grapes, cinder toffee, hints of soot. 
Finish: Long. Leather, malted grains, soot, white grapes, cinder toffee. 

Comments: 

Light, fresh and saline, perfectly Oban so far, but at the end, at the back of the mouth, there’s a small wash of dirty soot. It’s very interesting, and almost catches in the mouth. Great whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 19yo The Manager’s Dram (bottled 1995)

Oban 19yo The Manager’s Dram (bottled 1995)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Yellow bronze
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, chalk, honey, camphor, gooseberries, malted grains, fresh cut grass. With water, leather, roast chicken, honey, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Honey, camphor, gooseberries, leather, celery salt, strawberries, hints of yoghurt. With water, leather, honey, chalk, gooseberries. 
Finish: Long. Leather, gooseberries, strawberries, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Bitter and herbal on the nose, and more than a little grassy. Once on the tongue it turns sweeter, with a bit of old bottle effect. Water brings out even more sweetness, and fruity notes too. Very decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 8yo 2000/2009 The Manager’s Choice

Oban 8yo 2000/2009 The Manager’s Choice

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Light amber
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, gooseberries, camphor, fresh cut grass, dark chocolate, blueberry jam. With water, dark chocolate, gooseberries, blueberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, volatile, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Roast chicken, camphor, leather, parchment, dark chocolate, blueberry jam. With water, camphor, chocolate, hay, blueberry jam. 
Finish: Long. Parchment, toffee, leather, camphor. 

Comments: 

Cask 1186. Herbal, even a teensy bit smoky, but mostly laden with jam and chocolate. On the tongue it’s quite meaty, and water creates more jam and even floral notes. Very nice whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 10yo (2022 Special Releases)

Oban 10yo (2022 Special Releases)

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Highlands
Sunshine yellow
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, lemon curd, heather honey, peat, dried figs, hints of milk. With water, toffee, smoke, brass polish, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, dried figs, tyre rubber, smoke, leather, raisins, milk, cream, hints of nutmeg. With water, dried figs, toffee, aluminium foil. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, black tea, cream, orange peel, dried figs. 

Comments: 

A sweet feinty Oban, lots of fruit and chocolate. There’s really only a whisper of smoke, and it appears with a few drops of water. Lots of lovely creamy notes as well on the tongue. Atypical, but delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 12yo (2021 Special Releases)

Oban 12yo (2021 Special Releases)

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Highlands
Bright gold
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, plums, lemon zest, peaches, rhubarb and custard sweets, marshmallows, vanilla. With water, yoghurt, lemon zest, barley sugar, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, peaches, vanilla, barley sugar, sumac, nutmeg, hints of vitamin C tablets. With water, saltier, sea salt, malted grains, barley sugar, sumac. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, sumac, barley sugar, peaches. 

Comments: 

Quite a tart and salty whisky. Very malty, and quite intense. There’s a lactic note on the nose that detracts a little bit, but the spicy notes on the tongue more than make up for it.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban Little Bay

Oban Little Bay

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Light copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, salt caramel, cream, butterscotch, peat, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, rolls off the tongue, static. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, fresh cut grass, butterscotch, plums, black tea, peat, hints of salted lemons. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, toast, plums, salted lemons. 

Comments: 

My first Oban in nearly a decade! It's recognisably Oban though - saline, slightly peaty, plenty of sweet and citrus notes. And very pleasant herbal notes, like sitting on a freshly mowed lawn by the seaside.

Verdict:

I like this.

Oban Distillery

Oban Distillery
Stafford Street
Oban
Argyll PA34 5NH

West Highlands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Oban whisky, to me, is something very Oriental. There's a lot of Chinese sour plums in there, as well as Japanese nori (dried seaweed for sushi), in addition to sherry, peat, and lots of tasty sweet things.

The Wordle below is interesting - Oban whisky seems to always have sherry and peat, as well as a basic sweet salty taste. The sherry and peat then tends to followed by lots of sweet notes, as well as the odd savoury note. The whisky is usually quite oily and heavy on the tongue.


All the Obans I've tasted so far are here.

Oban 14 yo (OB) - good
Oban 1992 Distiller's Edition (1992/2006) (OB) - good
Oban 32 yo 1969/2002 Cask Strength (OB) - very good

Distillery history

Founded 1794 by brothers John and Hugh Stevenson. Goes through a long chain of owners before finally being bought by the Oban Distillery Company in 1923. The ODC, through mergers and acquisitions, was eventually folded into Diageo. The distillery was silent from 1931 to 1937, and again from 1969 to 1972, and for a few months in 1991.

The distillery is an urban distillery. There aren't many of these left. The flagship 14 yo bottling was chosen as one of Diageo's Classic Malts, representing the West Highlands. The malt also goes into Dewar's and Old Mull.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Gleann and Bhearraidh Lochs.
Washbacks: Four, European larch, 36,000 litres each.
Wash stills: One, constricted neck, 18,800 litres.
Spirit stills: One, constricted neck, 8,296 litres.
Spirit still Lyne arm: Unusually short.
Production per year: 700,000 litres.

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

Oban 32 yo 1969/2002 Cask Strength

Oban 32 yo 1969/2002 Cask Strength

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Dark gold
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Salted fish, barley sweets, preserved lemons, hint of maple syrup, peat, sherry, vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, smooth, syrupy, very unctuous.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Lemon sweets, sour plums, sherry, quince jelly, peat, vanilla, hint of salted vegetables.
Finish: Long. Warm, candied lemon, chillies, hint of chocolate.

Comments:

Very very good indeed. This is no longer easily available, and I get the feeling that Diageo only bottled this because they had some superlative casks ready right around 2002. The distillery's oriental character is very obvious, but it's now married to loads of fruit and sherry, with a great mouthfeel as well. I love this, shame I can only afford one dram. Ever.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!

Oban 1992 Distiller's Edition (1992/2006)

Oban 1992 Distiller's Edition (1992/2006)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Amber orange
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, butter, raisins, cream, sherry (Pedro Ximenez).
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, smooth, oily, viscous.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Raisins, walnut skins, sherry, rancid butter.
Finish: Medium. Spicy red pepper, olive oil. Now it gets more like the 14 yo.

Comments:

One of Diageo's Distiller's Editions, finished in Montilla Fino casks. The sherry influence makes it a lot sweeter and probably a lot thicker as well. A whisky for thinking and playing around with (in the mouth). The finish is quite unlike the nose, but it's an interesting change from the chewy sweetness at the beginning.

Verdict:

I like this.

Oban 14 yo

Oban 14 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Amber
43% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Raisins, peat, toffee, herbal soup, hints of flatulence. Very pleasant despite the unpleasant descriptor, however.
Mouthfeel: A little oily, smooth, medium body.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Plums, ume, chinese sour plums.
Finish: Toffee, hint of peat, musty, leather, candied winter melon.

Comments:

Very maritime, and slightly Japanese. Evokes the Japanese pickles you get along with a bento box. The nose isn't unpleasant, despite the manure characteristics. Something you could drink in a musty old library while munching on sushi.

Verdict:

I like this.