Oban 14 Year

Oban 14 Year Old is part of the Classic Malts collection. The Oban distillery itself is more than a classic distillery. It was founded in 1794, even before whiskey making was legalized in Scotland, in the eponymous West Scottish port town of Oban. The distillery is located in the Highlands and if we zoom in a bit further the 'West Highland', an area that bridges the smoke of Islay and the light sweetness of the Highlands. This makes the Oban 14 Year indeed a very congenial dram with flavors of pears, sea salt, heather, roasted barley and a touch of earthy peat smoke. This is a whiskey that many claim is a favorite of theirs. In the glass, the Oban 14 has a solid gold appearance. The fragrance is one of crunchy apples and demerara sugar meeting dry straw and oak, plus a light pinch of cloves to give it some spiciness. There is also only the slightest hint of smoke, so a humble person can even miss it without paying serious attention or knowing to look for it. The taste starts as freshly baked apple pie, sweet with honey, fruit and baking spices, but then dry and peppered in the middle palate. The finish has a hint of spicy and a hint of fruitiness and lingers. More sweet than spicy and barely smoky, this is a very well rounded, easy to drink single malt. A beautiful whiskey that will not look out of place as a beautiful after dinner whiskey.