Finish: The finish features more salted meats with a smokey and dry finish. The peat comes to life on the finish and lingers and coalescences with the wood notes leaving you with quite a dry finish. I’ve never been overly impressed with Oban 14. It’s always been one of those malts that I get when it’s cheap at a bar, over at a friend’s place or have an after-work-dram with folks in the office because someone always seems to have a bottle, but I’ve never reviewed it… till now.

Finish: Honey, berry, chocolate, baking spice, herbal tea. Lingering spices. The Macallan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old Double Cask Oban 14 Years is the core offering from the Oban distillery which is among the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Erected in 1794 it was the beginning of what would become the city of Oban. Unlike many distilleries that spring up inside of a city, this time the city sprung up around the Distillery. It’s among the smaller distilleries in Scotland with only two pot stills which they use to make a moderately peated style of whisky that was once a bit more synonymous with the Highlands than it is today, but still far from being uncommon. Oban is a Western Highland Scotch distillery and brand owned by Diageo. Founded in 1794 at Argyll, the distillery was initially operated as a brewery but began distillation shortly after. Like many of Scotland’s distilleries, ownership changed multiple times, and the distillery was modernized, too. Today, Oban is said to be the second smallest distillery owned by Diageo when it comes to production capacity, at 870,000 liters per year. Oban in Scots Gaelic means’ little bay’ and describes the distillery’s location near the shore of Sound of Kerrera on the coast of the Hebrides. At the plant’s founding in 1793, the town of Oban had not yet been founded. In its early days, the location worked as a brewery, producing ale for inhabitants of the newly laid town. After a few years, the first distillations were recorded.Finish:Short to medium length with a lovely level astringency.A sprinkle of pepper, a touch of cigar tobacco and still that pervasive deep malt. The finish does benefit from some time spent resting in the glass – straight out of the bottle it can seem very short indeed, but it does lengthen, and indeed deepens once it has had a bit of 02. Oban’s small, onion-shaped, slow-running stills give the spirit a sulphury character and viscous mouthfeel. But to keep the flavor light, the distillers take breaks between runs to open the doors and expose the inside of the pot to oxygen — which helps rejuvenate the copper. The Oban facility is relatively small — just over 46,000 square feet — and all of its spirits come off two stills — one beer still and one spirit still. And the entire plant is operated by a production crew of only seven people. Their small capacity helps explain Oban’s small volume and availability on the international marketplace. When comparing products with identical ingredients, the techniques utilized during the malting, fermentation, distillation and maturation processes significantly impact the resulting flavor.

The distillery was built in 1794 by the brothers John and Hugh Stevenson and operated by them until 1866, when it was bought by Peter Curnstie. It was then acquired by Walter Higgin in 1883 and rebuilt. In 1898, Alexander Edward, who also owned Aultmore Distillery, bought out Higgin. In its first year of operation, it suffered major losses when a major blending company, Pattison's of Leith, went under. In 1923, Oban was sold to Dewars and joined Distillers Company with that company in 1925. It fell silent from 1931 until 1937 and again from 1969 to 1972 when a new still house was built. In 1989 a new visitors' centre was installed. [4] Bottlings [ edit ] Description: In the glass, Oban 14 is the color of amber, or polished mahogany with a red-brown hue. It has moderate legs at 86-proof. On the nose: There is an initial puff of wax that fades immediately and turns into caramel sauce and bubble gum. A very brief dash of smoke. Tulip petals, dry oats, paprika, and almost a sense of creaminess. Overall, it’s balanced, doesn’t have much complexity, and consistently comes across as delicate. Both Oban 14 and the Macallan 12 are Age Statement Whiskies — meaning the number of years printed on the label is legally required to reflect the youngest casks in any particular batch.The Macallan is influenced by its prevalent use of sherry butts and casks during the maturation of its extensive range of whiskies. This adds a ruby color, sweet character and luscious mouthfeel to its whisky. Ownership, Price Point & Value This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services.

Oban’s flagship whisky is a 14-year-old single malt. It’s a sophisticated thing, stylistically living somewhere between the brash peatiness of an Islay malt and the more harmonious structure of a Highland whisky (if such a thing can be generalized—there are Highland whiskies of nearly every persuasion). Oban also offers an NAS whisky called Little Bay (the meaning of the Gaelic word “oban”), as well as a Distiller’s Edition aged in fino sherry casks and an 18-year-old expression. Tasting Notes: Oban 14-Year-Old Scotch Whisky In December 2014 Oban introduced a NAS (non-age-statement) bottling, called Oban "Little Bay". In 2023, Diageo released an 11-year-old Oban called "The Soul of Calypso" as part of the Special Releases. It was matured in Caribbean rum casks. [5] See also [ edit ]The Oban Distillery is mere steps away from the Sound of Kerrera, which gives the whisky maturing inside the oak casks in the maturation interaction with the salty sea air as the waves crash along the harbor walls of the small coastal town. The Macallan — by contrast — has an enormous, recently renovated distillery compound that aims to help the luxury brand take advantage of rabid consumer demand in the luxury drinks market by increasing supply. Oban’s proximity to the ocean gives the final spirit a minerality that works overtime to add complexity to the light and fruity new make off the still.

We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international deliveryA combination of rich sweetness with a smoky dryness and appetising spice distinguishes this lovingly-matured Highland malt.” Oban 14 Years price, ABV, age and other details Nose: Distinct malty sweetness, with a faint saline mineral note and hint of smoke. Mint, oak, almonds, and butterscotch.