Today young Oban


October 24, 2024

WF’s Little Duos, today young Oban

Fresh green walnuts (Specialty Produce)

No independent bottlings of Oban for quite a few decades. We love Oban, a shame we get so few chances to taste it.

Oban 11 yo ‘Hand Filled’ (57.5%, OB, Batch #5, August 2024)

This distillery-only bottling from this past summer surely holds a superb Oban, doesn’t it? It doesn’t say, but in theory, this should be ex-bourbon. Colour: white wine. Nose: magnificent, taut, slightly mustardy, salty, precise, and wonderfully austere. Oban’s potential is quite astonishing—if I may humbly offer my opinion, they ought to release a few more parcels. There’s a hint of seawater and some passing periwinkles. With water: a lot of soot, old tools, old British car engine, and paraffin. Mouth (neat): splendid. Smoked lemon, more mustard, cider apple, and perhaps a small spoonful of caviar. A touch of horseradish too. With water: it softens up but stays rather oily (thanks to those condensers), with peppered lemon and a few sardines, joining the periwinkles from the nose. Finish: long, more citrus now. Small pickled lemons and smoked salmon. Comments: an exceptional distillate, with a Brora-esque edge. Just one small question—have you ever tried the old Oban 32-year-old 1969 OB? If not, you really should.
SGP:562 - 89 points.

Oban 10 yo ‘Coastal Orchard’ (58%, OB, Special Releases 2024, oloroso finish)

Quite the ‘Country Life’ label, isn’t it? Though to be fair, there are almost tropical zones up north on Scotland’s west coast. Keyword: almost. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s more closed than the hand-filled, perhaps due to the sherry influence. That said, there’s a touch of fortified wine alongside the usual salty, mustardy notes we adore. A hint of menthol too. It's getting there… With water: green walnuts have taken over, which is excellent news. Mouth (neat): this is really pretty good. Salty, with tart apples, mustard, green sherry walnuts, lime, and a faint detergent note which, contrary to what you might think, is rather lovely in this context. With water: tart apples, cacao, lemon juice, fresh parsley, and a bit of Riesling. Finish: fairly long, with mustard and seawater making a comeback. The tart apples and fresh walnuts then take charge. Comments: I think Oban is vastly underrated. If some indies could release a few well-crafted single casks, it would do wonders for this ‘hidden gem’s’ reputation. Not that it's any of my business, but exposure is key.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

(Merci KC)

Check the index of all Oban we've tasted so far