Oban 14 Year

Dried fruits, raisins, a touch of orange and a hint of smoke on the nose. The palate is crisp, a bit of citrus (maybe orange) . Cookie? Not a sugary one, more like the biscuits my granma would bring around during christmas time. The finish I get this note which I also get when drinking JW Black which I can only describe as smoked honey, but I find the smokiness here lingers a bit more than JW Black. The finish isn't extremely long but it's just about right and at 43% ABV you will get a very enjoyable oily mouthfeel. I will disclose that I have been strictly drinking JW Black (neat) for the last 2 months and bought myself a bottle of this today on a whim and find them both very similar, with Oban 14 being clearly a superior juice but similar in their profile and character. My love for JW Black goes beyond the complexity nor their history of making great accesible blends, it was the first scotch I ever tried and although it was not a love at first sip it def open the doors to the world of whiskey. Over the past 14 years I have tried many whiskies, bourbon, scotch, irish and dabbled on some japanese but Scotch is heads & shoulders my favorite. After trying the likes of Lagavulin, Laphroigh, Higland Park, Glenlivet and the likes I am hope I am not just exagerating when I say this is an exeptional single malt and one of if not the best I have ever tried. Take this with a grain of salt since my palate might not be as advance as some of you all. The price is steep at $96.99 per bottle but I will try to always keep a bottle of this in my cabinet just for my own enjoyment.

Oban 14 Nose: Light juicy fruit, apples, pears, salt water, light smoke Palate: Much like the nose, tons of light fruit, a bit of smoke with a touch of seaweed. Finish is medium ending on an ashy note. Refreshing and interesting leaving you wanting more. Price: <$100; pricy but worth it, absolute rebuy Score: 9.2/10 - Amazing pour - Stock it! Final thoughts: I’m in love! I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it! This is a beautiful whisky. Perfect for any occasion and any season. The fruity burst on both the nose and the palate makes this an easy sipper and a definite rebuy. Even with the increased price I’m still convinced this is worth the splurge. I’ve loved every pour from the bottle and I’m sad to be nearing the end. To me that is a sign of a great scotch. What do you think of the Oban 14? Is it a classic staple on your shelf? Would you recommend it to a friend?

A gentle and inviting malt forward nose. Top notes are crisp green pears and underripe stone fruit lightly seasoned with white pepper, cinnamon, plus sea salt. Beneath these are heartier layers of honey, malted barley, and butter cookie. The base is a modest note of clean earthy peat, plus a nearly imperceptible oak vanillin. The taste is well balanced, sweet, spicy, smoky, and salty. Orchard fruits amid butterscotch give way to cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, some licorice root, and a drop of brine. Medium bodied, with a comfortable slickness on the tongue. However, in the glass it’s as legless as a serpent. The finish is ashy at the start, with some lingering warming spice and salinity. Eventually, it fades to a very soft honied woodiness with black tea tannins and green citrus notes landing it somewhere between vanilla chai and Earl Grey. Aroma: 8 Taste: 9 Body: 7 Finish: 9

Similar descriptors from my last review (9/18/23). Pears. And more pears. With some apples, saline, hay, gentle smoke. Light glycerin on the palate, with dried orange peel and a white pepper kick, and espresso with some vanilla on the finish. This is the Rodney Dangerfield of Scotch. It gets no respect. Is it widely available? Yes. is it approachable? Yes. Do you I need to pay $100+ to buy it? No. These are not bad things. And then there's the official Distiller review: "very likable" with "pears, sea salt, heather, toasted barley, and a touch of earthy peat smoke." Ergo, it tastes good. And five separate descriptors, which makes it complex by definition. So it gets an 83. Let the haters hate. It's good. Will I buy it again? It has a permanent spot in the collection. 4+ on the Distiller scale.

Very balanced. Fruity and cerial sweet, leaving you with a full mouthfeel and a semi-sharp spiciness. It’s very sippable – just deep enough to give a mellow feel but lacks the hard edge that would bring fourth a more rough grit. I can imaging many occasions where this would be a choice whiskey; apart from the warmest summer and coldest winter days this can cover most everything in between. It’s really good – just short of great. There is some ashy smoke to it albeit very slight.

Pear, sea salt, quince, orange marmalade, apricot, gentle smoke. Also carambola and papaya, which I've not experienced before in my 20 years of experience with this whisky. Round mouthfeel. A little white pepper on the finish. I've always been a fan of Oban 14. No one disses on this whisky except the "experts"--but "broad appeal" does not have to be mutually exclusive from "enthusiast appeal." It's very good whisky. 4.25 on the Distiller scale.