Refill and new American oak and amontillado seasoned
Nose: Rather creamy, almost buttery and certainly with plenty of vanilla, but also whispers of oranges, butterscotch, ripe apples and touches of minerals. Finally some caraway seeds.
Taste: Sweet, creamy arrival. But the first impression is mostly dominated by (oak) spices. Slight bitterness with a hot pepperiness. That’s followed by apple peel, sultanas and peanut skins, but also a soft salinity, while water brings out lemon pith and freshly cut grass.
Finish: Long with lingering oak spices, salt and orchard fruits.
CONCLUSION
A young-ish, somewhat hot Oban. It has some pleasant coastal touches, but I find the oak spices on the palate a little too present. Good, but certainly not an easy sipper, if that’s what you’re hoping for.
BOW (87)
Angus McRaild (87)
Called 'The Hidden Paradise of Black Rock' and featuring a purple rabbit - no doubt in reference to the charming little bay where Oban locals enjoy micro-dosing LSD. This has undergone a secondary maturation in ex-sherry and Amontillado seasoned casks. Colour: straw. Nose: once again, rather fruitier than the older ones, although it does have that Oban 'weight' about it, which is pleasing. Goes on with some putty and waxy notes, pineapple and a wee hint of caraway. With water: saltier, leaner, tougher and more oily and mustardy. Maybe the soul of Banff really does reside in Oban these days. Mouth: very nice Oban fatness with peppery and mustardy warmth, a hint of pickled tarragon, some seawater, lemon rind, putty and then more sherried aspects such as green walnuts and almonds. With water: leathery, still pretty salty and fatty, some pancetta, thick olive oil, crushed aspirin and heather ale. Finish: good length, going back towards light waxes, sweet honeys, breakfast cereals and dried flowers. Comments: I am a huge fan of Oban, and I don't want to complain too much about any new bottling of it because it's always a pleasure to try a new one. But, and I appreciate I am not the general target consumer here, couldn't we pretty please just have 10yo 100 proof refill wood Oban OB in the standard Oban bottle? I mean, all you'd have to do would be to change the '14' to a '10' and the '43%' to '57.1%'. Oh, and the whisky, you'd need to change that as well. But seriously, I'm not kidding, Oban deserves its own Lagavulin 12 treatment so to speak…
