Oban Distillery Exclusive Bottling Batch 03

Tasted at Oban Distillery, April 13th 2025 Nose: Big, oily and malty with lemon peel, vanilla, treacle and toasted oak. A deep nosing reveals brine, and reduction does no damage to its robust character. Palate: Like the nose, the palate is big and rich with oily malt squarely on display. The development brings in citrus, a little pepper and some tannic spice. The texture is oily and dense. Finish: Medium/Short. Oily lemon and cereal. The nose is very impressive and a great example of how rich and satisfying a simple, oily cereal profile can be. It gets better with rest in the glass and even better with just a dash of water. The palate also benefits from reduction, gaining soft creaminess and integration. I had expected this whisky to be like the old distillery only limited edition, but it is quite different. It’s more like a version of the 14 year old core edition that has greater intensity in every dimension. This is a very good whisky that is definitely worth at least a taste if you visit the distillery, however I think many people might prefer the sherry character of the Distillers Edition. I’d happily buy a bottle of either (or both). Oban is a distillery that I overlooked for a long time. That was a mistake. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)