The distillery is at the heart of Oban – “Gateway to the Isles”. In effect, the town grew up around the distillery, founded by John and Hug Stevenson in 1794.
Oban’s attractive West Highland character reflects its location, revealing aspects of both the Highland and the Island styles. Elegant and glowing, it marries the sea air character of the Island malts to the soft, richly fruity style of the Highlands, creating its own rich tasting West Highlands malt.
The stills here are among the smallest in Scotland. The cramped nature of the site places severe limits on production, which in turn means that demand for Oban’s richly appreciated malt is always likely o exceed supply.
Few malts were ever made in the Western Highlands and only two now remain. Oban, like its home, remains their capital. Oban is the unforgetable West Highland destination on a journey around Scotland’s six malt whisky making regions.
The Western Highland representative in Diageo’s ‘Classic Malt’ series, Oban 14yo is a superb, full-blooded fruity malt with a whiff of heather and more than a hint of smoke.
APPEARANCE: Olive gold.
NOSE: Rich sweetness and fruits – oranges, lemons and pears, with sea-salt and peaty smokiness.
BODY: Full, riChateau
PALATE: Mouth-filling late autumn fruits – dried figs and honey-sweet spices; followed by a smoky malty dryness.
FINISH: Long, smooth-sweet finish with oak-wood, dryness and a grain of salt.
