Oban

Whisky #198 – Oban 14 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_3610Oban 14 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at The Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo. $0, courtesy of my friend Shelly.

Apologies for being off air for a few days, but I’ve been busy drinking whisky! A few days to catch up on, let’s get into it with the Oban 14 year old…

Colour: Bright caramel.

Nose: Dried fruits, mainly sultanas and apricots. Slightly floral.

Palate: Cool oily mouthfeel to start, then a gentle heat builds. Toasted oak flavours, buttery.

Finish: Soft peppery tingle on the front of the tongue. Medium length.

Comments: Have you ever had elocution lessons from a slightly tipsy Scottish lass? Hilarious. My dear friend Shelly bought me an Oban when I was back visiting Sydney, and then proceded to correct my apparent mispronunciation of Oban after we’d had a couple of drinks.

Whisky a Day: Hey Shell, is this an Oban?

Shelly: It’s not O-bahn, it’s Oh-bin!

Whisky a Day: Oban?

Shelly: No no nooooo…that’s not right, it’s Oo-bun!

Whisky a Day: So how would you pronounce it, Oooooo-bun, Oh-bin, Oh-bahn? Or simply “gargle-gargle-swallow”?

Shelly: Oban!

Whisky a Day: Surely you can’t be serious?

Shelly: I am serious, and stop calling me Shelly!

I look forward to many more elocution lessons next time I’m back in Sydney Shelly!  Though I think I’ll leave the final word to legendary Scottish actor Brian Cox… 

Whisky #158 – Oban Distiller’s Edition Single Malt

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IMG_3494Oban Distiller’s Edition Single Malt (distilled 1998, bottled 2013). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $120.

Colour: Burnt amber. Much like its Diageo Distiller’s Edition stablemates, this Oban has spent time extra maturing in some addition casks, in this case it’s Montilla Fino casks which have imparted the darker colour.

Nose: Oaky, briny.

Palate: Salty notes dominate. Quite woody, some dry vanilla too.

Finish: Sweet subtle smoke, quite dry.

Comments: I had never even heard of Montilla Fino before, apparently it’s a sweet fortified wine similar to sherry produced in the southern part of Córdoba in Spain. It’s a little drier than I’d prefer, not a bad offering but not a whisky I would spend all night drinking.

I was hoping the Distiller’s Edition whiskies might be something quite special, as if the master distillers had selected a few special barrels and produced a nice limited edition whisky. And while they’ve been quite ok, they’ve certainly fallen a little short of expectations.