Folks from my whisky generation are used to only seeing Oban's 14yo, Distillers Edition, and (occasionally) the 18yo on retailers' shelves. (Nowadays you whisky kids have an NAS and a host of young "Special Releases" to choose from.) So I always enjoy seeing older cask strength versions of Oban hit the market, even though they're usually priced well above any level I deem reasonable. Sometimes I'm able to join a bottle split, like I did with Diageo's other 21yo Oban release, which turned out to be a great whisky, and the 21yo SR that I'm reviewing today. A pour of a 2017 bottling of the 14 year old served as a warmup for this post.
Distillery: Oban
Ownership: Diageo
Range: Special Releases
Region: Western Highlands
Age: at least 21 years (1996-2018)
Maturation: Refill European Oak Butts
Alcohol by Volume: 57.9%
Limited Bottling: ???? bottles
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Probably not
(from a bottle split)
NEAT
The nose starts off like a similarly-aged Glenburgie, full of fresh stone fruit. With this Oban, it's apricots! Pears, lemongrass, and damp moss fill the middle ground, while saline and crème brûlée linger in the background. Apricots, oranges, and tart cherry compote appear first in the palate, followed by roses and a whiff of wood smoke. It's slightly tannic and drying, though not too much so. It finishes with tart cherries, tart limes, and a tannic touch.
DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
More minerals and saline in the nose now. White peaches, golden raisins, and flower blossoms keep it bright. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses move to the palate's fore, with minerals and tart berries in the aft. Oak spices, lemons, and salt finish it up.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
Lovely nose, decent palate. The oak doesn't ruin the palate, but something does seem to keep the whisky flavors from merging and ascending, keeping it from besting aforementioned similar Glenburgies. Experimenting with dilution might help. As always, my score arrives independent of the whisky's price, though the QPR here could be disappointing to those who buy a bottle.
Availability - Secondary marketPricing - originally priced around $450, it's now $500-$700
Rating - 86
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