8
Expressions
8
With Tasting Notes
100%
Completeness
About
One of Scotland's oldest and smallest distilleries, wedged between a cliff face and the main street of the harbour town of Oban -- the 'Gateway to the Isles.' The town literally grew up around the distillery. Only 2 small stills in a cramped stillhouse that makes expansion impossible. The West Highland representative in the Classic Malts series. Produces a distinctive maritime-meets-Highland style. The 14 Year Old is the flagship expression.
Production Details
Owner
Diageo
Parent Company
Diageo
Status
Active
Founded
1794
Still Type
Pot
Stills
2
Capacity
0.9M LPA
Water Source
Loch Gleann a'Bhearraidh
Core Range2
Oban 14 Year OldCore
1443% ABV$60-90
Ex-bourbon American oak casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Rich amber-gold; medium body with warm copper highlights. A classic West Highland colour
Smell
Dried figs, honey-sweet spices, and citrus peel open into a crisp sea breeze with a salty tang. Subtle peat smoke weaves underneath, never overpowering. The maritime-meets-Highland duality is immediate
Sip
Rich and full-bodied with dried spices, seaweed, and oak. A wave of dark chocolate, smoke, and salt gives way to caramel sweetness. The two-still operation concentrates character — this is dense for 43%
Savor
Long, smooth-sweet finish with oak wood and a lingering hint of salt air. Lightly sweet caramel and spices persist. The maritime influence stays through the final fade
View flavor map
{"Walk_to_Lighthouse_Sea":["sea salt","dried seaweed","sea salt caramel"],"Greengrocer_Citrus":["orange peel","honeyed citrus","orange zest"],"Sweet_Shop_Sugar":["honey","malty sweetness"],"Smoke_House_Peat":["light peat smoke","light smoke","gentle smoke"],"Greengrocer_Orchard":["dried fig"],"Natural_Foods_Spices":["ginger"],"Garden_Path":["heather"],"Furniture_Maker_Wood":["dry oak finish"]}
Oban Little BayCore
NAS43% ABV$55-75
Multi-cask: first-fill European oak ex-sherry, refill American oak with new oak ends, refill American oak hogsheads, married in small ex-bourbon barrels
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Warm amber with rich gold tones; medium-full body. The small cask finishing adds depth of colour
Smell
Oily, waxy, and nutty balanced by ripe orchard fruits. Rich fruit-cake notes with cereal and orange behind. Almond and dried fruit give a Christmas pudding quality
Sip
Comforting chewiness of rich fruit-bread with hints of orange zest and clove growing drier. Still minty with crisp green apple. The small cask contact amplifies the classic Oban maritime character with added sweetness
Savor
Long, quite syrupy at first then drying with elegant coating tannins rich in dark chocolate character. The multi-cask complexity lingers
View flavor map
{"Sweet_Shop_Sugar":["toffee","butterscotch","vanilla"],"Sweet_Shop_Chocolate":["dark chocolate"],"Greengrocer_Citrus":["mandarin","clementine"],"Walk_to_Lighthouse_Sea":["light brine","sea salt","maritime salinity"],"Furniture_Maker_Wood":["toasted oak","warm oak spice"],"Natural_Foods_Spices":["cracked black pepper"],"Greengrocer_Orchard":["dried fruit"]}
Limited / Special Releases6
Oban 10 Year Old The Celestial Blaze Special Release 2022
1057.1% ABV2022$110-142
Double matured: refill and new American oak, then ex-Sherry and Amontillado seasoned casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Rich amber-gold with warm copper highlights; full body. The sherry cask double maturation creates intensity despite the younger age
Smell
Gentle with no prickle despite cask strength. Maritime hints of salt crystal, edible seaweed, and ozone-fresh sea air. A very faint smokiness with suggestions of lint and light olive oil, plus light lemon citrus
Sip
Soft and creamy-smooth texture with bright wine-fruit notes carrying hints of sweet violet and spiced plum. The fruit is balanced by lively spiciness — first as saltiness mid-palate, then in a blazing dash of chili pepper
Savor
Rich and vibrant with creamy smoothness, richly sweet fruitiness, light smokiness, and peppery spice. The Amontillado influence creates a layered, complex finish
View flavor map
Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (salt crystal, seaweed, ozone); Pub/Bar: Wine (Amontillado sherry, wine-fruit); Garden Path: violet; Greengrocer: Citrus (lemon), Orchard (plum); Natural Foods: Spices (chili pepper); Smoke House: Peat (faint smoke)
Oban 18 Year Old (Limited Edition)
18 Years43% ABV$130-180
Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep amber with copper highlights
Smell
Rich orange marmalade, sea salt, dark honey, cinnamon bark, toasted oak, dried seaweed, leather
Sip
Full-bodied with orange peel, salted dark chocolate, dried fig, clove, maritime brine, dark caramel, oak tannins
Savor
Very long with lingering dark chocolate, sea salt, leather, and gentle peaty warmth
View flavor map
{"Walk_to_Lighthouse_Sea":["sea salt","dried seaweed","maritime brine"],"Greengrocer_Citrus":["orange marmalade","orange peel"],"Sweet_Shop_Sugar":["dark honey","dark caramel"],"Sweet_Shop_Chocolate":["salted dark chocolate","dark chocolate"],"Natural_Foods_Spices":["cinnamon bark","clove"],"Furniture_Maker_Wood":["toasted oak","oak tannins"],"Furniture_Maker_Leather":["leather"],"Greengrocer_Orchard":["dried fig"],"Smoke_House_Peat":["gentle peaty warmth"]}
Oban 18 Year Old Limited Edition
1843% ABV$140-180
Ex-bourbon and refill American oak casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep amber with burnished copper notes; full body. The extra four years beyond the 14yo deepen the colour substantially
Smell
Citrus fruit, crisp sea breeze, and salty tang. More refined than the 14yo — the additional maturation has softened the maritime character into something more elegant
Sip
Dried spices, seaweed, and oak on the palate with smoke, salt, dark chocolate, and warming spices. The 18 years of maturation bring greater depth and concentration than the 14yo while preserving the coastal character
Savor
Lightly sweet finish with caramel, spices, and salt. The maritime saltiness persists alongside dark chocolate warmth. Longer and more complex than the 14yo
View flavor map
Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (sea breeze, salt, seaweed); Smoke House: Peat (smoke); Sweet Shop: caramel; Bakery: dark chocolate; Natural Foods: Spices (dried spices); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak)
Oban 21 Year Old Special Release 2018
2157.9% ABV2018$350-450
Refill European oak casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep amber with rich mahogany tones; full body. Two decades in European oak create a dark, luxurious colour
Smell
A dry sea breeze opens into deep concentrated maritime aromas. The 21 years in European oak have built extraordinary complexity on the Oban coastal foundation
Sip
Intensely smooth and sweet with concentrated maritime character. The European oak refill casks at 21 years bring depth without overwhelming the delicate Oban spirit. Rich and full-bodied at natural cask strength
Savor
Crisp and spicy finish with remarkable length. The maritime saltiness and European oak spice dance together in a long, evolving conclusion. One of the most concentrated Oban expressions ever released
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Walk to Lighthouse: Sea (sea breeze, maritime); Natural Foods: Spices (crisp spice); Furniture Maker: Wood (European oak); Sweet Shop: intense sweetness
Oban Bay Reserve The Night's Watch
NAS43% ABV2019$50-65
Ex-bourbon and refill casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Warm gold with amber highlights; medium body. A lighter expression reflecting the NAS multi-vintage blending
Smell
Fresh squeezed orange, apricot, plum, and floral tea intermingle with barrel char, saline, and a wisp of campfire smoke. Bright and inviting
Sip
Orange, apricot, and plum carry from nose to palate. Behind the fruit: heather, lavender, black tea, and baking spices along with vanilla, mild oak tannin, and barrel char with light smoke
Savor
Medium-length finish with gentle smoke, citrus, and tea tannins. The coastal character is present but gentle — more accessible than the 14yo flagship
View flavor map
Greengrocer: Citrus (orange), Orchard (apricot, plum); Garden Path: heather, lavender, floral tea; Smoke House: Peat (campfire smoke); Bakery: barrel char; Sweet Shop: vanilla; Natural Foods: Spices (baking spices); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak tannin)
Oban Distillers Edition
NAS43% ABV$90-120
Double matured in Montilla Fino sherry-seasoned casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep amber-gold with a warm sherry tint; medium-full body. The Montilla Fino finish adds richness
Smell
Sweetened Jamaican coffee and oak with an attractive malt-biscuit effect. The Fino finish adds dry elegance to the maritime base. Citrus and warm spice interweave
Sip
Explosive intensity for an Oban — the Montilla Fino cask amplifies the natural sweetness while adding a dry, nutty sherry character. Maritime salt, dark fruit, and warm baking spices. Fuller than the 14yo
Savor
Long and layered with alternating waves of maritime saltiness, sherry nuttiness, and malt sweetness. The Fino influence is elegant rather than dominant, preserving the Oban character
View flavor map
{"Walk_to_Lighthouse_Sea":["sea spray","marine minerality","coastal minerality"],"Pub_Bar_Wine":["fino sherry nuttiness","fino sherry dryness"],"Greengrocer_Orchard":["dried apricot","dried stone fruit"],"Bakery_Savoury":["roasted almonds","toasted almond","salted almond"],"Sweet_Shop_Sugar":["salted caramel"],"Greengrocer_Citrus":["bitter orange","orange blossom"],"Natural_Foods_Spices":["nutmeg"],"Smoke_House_Peat":["light smoke","gentle smoke"]}