A bustling seaside resort has emerged around the distillery in Oban, a fishing town, over the past two centuries. The West Highland malt, still produced in the same unhurried, traditional manner, is the star of this 14-year-old classic whisky. Oban 14yo is a superb, full-bodied fruity malt with a hint of heather and a subtle smokiness.
Available in a 700ml bottle, at 43% abv.
TASTING NOTES
APPEARANCE
Olive gold.
NOSE
Warming and sweet: oily, waxy and nutty, balanced by delicate ripe orchard fruits. Then, lighter notes of an almondy fruit cake sit atop a denser layer of Christmas pudding. Behind, malty cereal notes are offset by aromatic orange. Much later: traces of brine and smoke, a little menthol and pine resin.
TASTE
Dense and coating, spicy too; sweet, yet menthol- fresh. Filling and warming, with the comforting chewiness of rich fruit-bread and hints of orange zest and clove, before growing drier, still minty, with crisp green apple. Less dense and fruitier with just a little water, which allows the classic Oban fruit, malt, and maritime hints free reign until the balancing, drying spice returns.
FINISH
Long, quite syrupy at first, then drying, with elegant coating tannins rich in dark chocolate character. Later, pine-fresh. At once cleansing yet chewy, with just a trace of late, slightly cedary, smoke.
