Oban Single Malt

By Maltmannie

A true west coast single malt, the Oban single malt obviously has its fans. However, some western highland malt whisky fans are disappointed by the whisky’s ‘restrained’ flavour, compared to its neighbours. Although your first taste can appear sweet, the Oban single malt’s flavour closes with a smoky aspect. Maybe the multiple tastes are only what you might expect from a Scottish single malt, given Scotland’s multiple seasons, even in one day.

Where this whisky hails from

The elements that make Oban single malt taste as it does include its source water being mossy, peaty hills. You can see from the label design the landscape and history that shaped this western highland malt’s place of origin.

Varieties of the Oban single malt available.

From the Oban single malt come three main expressions: the 14-year-old, at 43 per cent vol; the 1980 bottling, a distiller’s edition which was double matured at 43 per cent; and the mature 32-year-old, a limited Oban single malt release of only 6000 available at 55.1 per cent.

Give your tasting tongue a head start.

Flavours to look out for in all expressions of the Oban single malt are: dryish nose, with a fruity taste that has flowery tones. One whisky expert, Michael Jackson, characterises the Oban single malt as a “classically briney West Highlander.”