Oban Little Bay 43%
Matured in refill American oak hogsheads, European oak Sherry casks and refill casks, married in ex Bourbon 200ltr casks
Tasted: May 2016
Full and densely sherried on the nose with fruitcake, dried grape, dried orange rind, treacle, dark chocolate, saline and a light, herbal nuance. Hints of tight, grainy tannins add an edginess to the aromas.
The palate is soft and juicy with less of the treacly sherry and more of the barley clarity and American oak. The sherry does add a touch of dried fruitcake and sweet spice on the middle. Less edgy and more rounded than the nose would suggest but the smaller finishing casks add a serious spicy finally and quite a dry finish.
Oban 14 year old 40%
Tasted: Jan 2004
Rich, creamy, youthful nose. Sweet and silky with sherry, soft creamy fruit, orange and a touch of earth/ smoke.
Dry, medium bodied, sweet and smooth with lots of sherry fruit, a touch of salt and a long sweet finish.
Oban 14 year old 43%
Tasted: Feb 2010
The nose has a definite sense of maturity, well at least more maturity than I remember it to have. It’s also less sweet and seems richer and oilier. It also has a lovely, almost coastal freshness along with some herbal nuances. It is still a bit sweet, with the sweetness having a more candied character, akin to the Penderyn sherrywood bottling.
The palate is soft and juicy, opening with some herbal-honey and light malt, followed by that candied sweetness and a touch of coffee. Like the nose it has a lovely freshness on the mid palate and seems older and weightier than I remember, in fact it reminds me of a heavy pot still Irish whiskey
Oban 14 year old 43%
Code: L4 206 CM000
Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Mar 2015
Full and toffee’d with luscious dried fruit, barley, heather honey, violet and sweet Oloroso notes. Gently earthy and spicy with a light peaty note in the background.
Full and rounded on the palate with toffee, milk chocolate and malt. A touch of heather honey and dried fruit comes through. Yes, it’s quite sweet but at its core is some lovely, crisp barley. Long and heathery with a touch of sweet peat in the finish and a lovely malty, chocolate coated raisin after-taste.
Oban 14 year old 43%
Code: L5 119 CM000
Btl: 2015/ Tasted: July 2015
Classic Oban nose – rich and malty with treacle, heather and sweet, juicy sherry along with a touch of walnuts and smoke.
The palate opens with a large dollop of intrusive burnt caramel. Yes, there is some malt, juicy sherry and heather but the heavy handed use of caramel has flattened the palate and makes the finish rather bitter too. Obviously a one off bad batch!
Oban ‘Distillers Edition’ 1992 (15 year old) 43%
Montilla Fino Finish/ Code: OD 155.FR
Dist: 1992 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: Dec 2008
It’s pretty much all distillery character on the nose – Rich, sweet mature honey, heather and oodles of herbal barley. The finish adds an extra level of sweetness and a hint of grape. Over time a late vanilla, smoke and coastal note appears.
On the palate it is drier, with the grape being more assertive to begin with. It has sort of bound up the wonderful herbal-honey and barley and only lets them loose on the middle where they are joined by a touch of heather and smoke. The barley continues to temper the sweetness and finally lets out some malt and vanilla, by which time the sweetness has returned. I have always found Oban agreeable but possibly just a tad too sweet for my tastebuds, and this is exactly the same.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 