I really like Oban 14 Year, and it's a Scotch I would not mind keeping on hand all the time. For someone whose Scotch cabinet has a fairly high turnover, someone who quests and voyages for new and interesting flavors on a more or less daily basis, this is pretty high praise.
It's also the only single malt Scotch made by Diageo that is not used in any of their blends, which I'm not sure is praise exactly but certainly speaks to its distinctive character and gives it a certain cache.
I've had Oban 14 Year both in whole bottle form and as a single glass at various bars, where happily it is a common find. It brings a little bit of everything to the table, from smoke and salt and maritime notes, too sweetness, to fruit, you name it you got it. This might go some of the way to explain its huge popularity. I remember the first time I encountered it was in a book, where some character orders it at a bar.
Bottled at 43% ABV and, apparently pronounced "OH-bun," let's get down to brass tacks:
Nose: Sea salt, twirling oceanic smoke, crunchy toffee, hints of butterscotch, maybe some undercover vanilla. The sea salt and the smoke are the first things I get, but as I dig into the scent for a while and find the sweetness they tend to recede and I have to "clear" my nose to get the salt and smoke back.
Mouthfeel: Nice, oily coating. Creamy body.
Palate: Salted caramel, a very nice strata of smoke, grasses or herbs, and some brown sugar sweetness. If there is fruit here, it's something like dates - sugary and chewy without citrus. From time to time - but not in every glass - I get distant hints of tobacco and milk chocolate (!). This is a simple palate, but each individual flavor is on the high end of the quality spectrum. Not very complex by any means, but satisfying. I always want a little more.
Finish: Some very light oak (drying but not bitter), and some sweet pepper (spicy but not numbing).
Verdict: Highly recommended anywhere you can find it. This is a pretty standard "good Scotch" that many bars have, so it shouldn't be too obscure to locate. I am dying to try the older version now!
Link to the Oban website: http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_us/Our-Whiskies/Oban/The-Family
Bottled at 43% ABV and, apparently pronounced "OH-bun," let's get down to brass tacks:
Nose: Sea salt, twirling oceanic smoke, crunchy toffee, hints of butterscotch, maybe some undercover vanilla. The sea salt and the smoke are the first things I get, but as I dig into the scent for a while and find the sweetness they tend to recede and I have to "clear" my nose to get the salt and smoke back.
Mouthfeel: Nice, oily coating. Creamy body.
Palate: Salted caramel, a very nice strata of smoke, grasses or herbs, and some brown sugar sweetness. If there is fruit here, it's something like dates - sugary and chewy without citrus. From time to time - but not in every glass - I get distant hints of tobacco and milk chocolate (!). This is a simple palate, but each individual flavor is on the high end of the quality spectrum. Not very complex by any means, but satisfying. I always want a little more.
Finish: Some very light oak (drying but not bitter), and some sweet pepper (spicy but not numbing).
Verdict: Highly recommended anywhere you can find it. This is a pretty standard "good Scotch" that many bars have, so it shouldn't be too obscure to locate. I am dying to try the older version now!
Link to the Oban website: http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_us/Our-Whiskies/Oban/The-Family
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