Scotland, Western Highlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Western Highlands:

Oban

The distillery

Oban Distillery
Oban
Argyll PA34 5NH
+44 1631 572 004

Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo) Ltd

Creation date1794

photos

The Oban distillery is settled in the very heart of the charming harbour town of the same name, facing the Isle of Mull. It has been build in 1794 by the Stevenson brothers, Hugh, John and James. The Stevenson family also founded the city of Oban.
In 1866, the distillery become property of Peter Cumstie, who sold it to Walter Higgin in 1883. The latter modernised the distillery.
He decided to hollow out the rocks near the distillery to make new warehouses, but the works were stopped after an archaeological discovery, notably human remains dating 4500 years BC. This remains are exposed in the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh.
The distillery has been acquired by the owner of Aultmore distillery to create the group Oban and Aultmore-Glenlivet Ltd was.
The Dewar's group became owner in 1823. In 1930, the Dewar's group was incorporated in SMD which is nowadays part of UDV, the current owner of the distillery
Oban has been mothballed from 1931 to 1937, during World War II and from 1969 to 1972.
Most of the ferries going to the Hebrides islands start from Oban. Its single malt became famous thanks to the Classic Malts collection launched in 1988, but the major part of the production is used in blends, among others Bell's.

The whisky

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

	Oban
	whisky
O.B.	14 years	16 2/3
	Distillers edition 1984	17 1/2

See Help 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €

Oban 14 years
Age	14 years
Alcohol	43°
Bottler	Official
Price/litre

The colour is deep yellow. The nose, light, refined and balances is marked by spices (pepper), citrus fruits and light woody and smoky hints.
The palate is smooth and develops on peat with a smoky, malty finish with exotic fruit touches.
A good malt, balanced and smooth, but it would be better if it has some more body.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The first impression announces an interesting whisky. The nose and the mouth let expect a very great malt, but this first impression is rapidly denied by a regrettable lack of depth. The relative deception is due to the expectations from the first impression rather than by a lack of quality of this malt.

A second tasting denied the first one. Even if this malt is slightly acid, the whole remains very interesting, and my quotation has been reviewed. This just confirms that the impressions can be different each time.

The relatively discrete nose, with its slightly acid and spicy hints, announces a nice balanced but rather plain whisky. In the palate, a nice complexity with touches going from malted barley to citrus fruit, through nice woody and smoky notes. A quite short finish, but the whole contributes to a nice whisky feeling.

Comment by Henrik Johansson

Date of tasting: 8/12 2007
Appearance: Deep Gold or light copper
Nose: Relatively closed and prickly. The predominant impression is of some sort of kippery aroma. There are some leafy, spicy and fragrant hints, but they're all very suppressed. The diluted nose opens up a little bit to reveal some green tobacco whiffs along with some aniseed and kiwi fruits.
Body: Medium light
Palate: Much less closed off than the nose, some warming, husky flavours, toasted oak and some sulphuric hints, but not to the point of being unpleasant. It's quite potent and mouth filling. The finish is long and warming.

Oban 1984 Distillers Edition
Age	17 years
Alcohol	43°
Particularity	Double maturation
Cask	Sherry Montilla Fino
Bottler	Official
Price/litre

The colour is gold with orange glints. The beautiful nose evokes peach and apricot on a sherryish, spicy and smoky background.
The mouth is dry and balanced and marked by the sherry.
The finish is elegant and refined with some hints of ginger bread

(la Maison du Whisky

A very elegant malt smell, mixed with sherry announces a great whisky. The taste is sweet and has pronounced character. Sherry although not dominant gives a certain elegance to this very good whisky. A long and pleasant finish crowns the whole. A bottle I really recommend.

The second tasting completely confirmed the first one

During the third tasting, the remarkable balance which characterizes this whisky, and its very long finish, obliged me to revise the quotation.

The rather smoky nose reveals some clear sherryish hints. A smell of ripe fruits and spices on the background. In the palate, an oily impression where sherry remains very present and the taste is rather complex. A quite long finish where the remembrance of the spices from the nosing comes back.

Western Highlands

This wild and hilly area with a windy seaside was not favourable for distillation. Only two distilleries in the North of the area and two others in the South are still active.

Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Western Highlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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Last update: Sunday, 17-Feb-2008 21:02:35 CET
Mon 12 05 2008, 07:49 - 36 visiteurs au cours de la dernière heure et 5 visiteurs sur le site en ce moment.
Copyright:Jean-Marie Putz (2003-2007)

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