Oban Little Bay

Review #067 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: NAS, matured in refill American oak hogsheads, European oak Sherry casks, and refill casks with new ends, then married and finished in small oak casks Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Tawny color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 It’s fruit forward on the nose, with crips apples and orange zest. Sweet honey accompanies floral notes, and there’s a hint of black coffee as well. Palate: 28/40 Spicy and fruity. Stewed apples, mushy pears, orange peel, black pepper, cinnamon, and bitter oak tannins. Finish: 30/40 Medium finish. Starts off as grain cereal before becoming dry and a bit bitter. Transitions to apple peel and grapefruit, then ending with more oak. There’s a wisp of smoke throughout the finish also, but it’s so faint you might miss it if you’re not looking for it. With Water: A couple drops of water enhanced the honey profile on the nose. It also introduced some nice charred notes on the palate and made the smoke on the finish a bit more evident. Total: 73/100 Final thoughts: Not a bad bottle by any means, it’s definitely an easy drinker. Glad I picked this one up when I saw it on sale and had the opportunity to try it, but I won’t be replacing it once it’s gone. There’s other easy drinkers that I prefer and I don’t think it’s worth it at full retail price. Price: $51 Would recommend: no Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Has a very fruity taste, kind of peachy. Grain forward with a lot of malt - chewy barley notes. A hint of smoke. Nice coastal, briney, salty, ocean flavors. But the finish, the finish is where this whiskey really loses me. It has a dry, funky, citrusy sherry kind of finish - something like a strong fino. It really dominates and I just flat out dislike it. I've had whiskey with these kind of flavors where it worked very, very well. In my opinion, it doesn't work here - it just clashes with what the rest of the whiskey is doing - it's not a counterpoint, it's more an obstruction. It leaves me feeling like I'm puckering my mouth, wishing the overly tart, dry flavor would just go away, and that the sweet fruity/malty flavors would come back. Unfortunately, that excessively tart, dry sherry sticks around. I could see how someone COULD like this, but I don't. If you like Oban and dryer sherry, this might be for you. I prefer my sherry and sherry finishes sweet. This is much too dry for me. I don't think PX would necessarily work, but I think I'd like this more if they'd turn up the sweetness a notch or two. Not a bad whiskey, but a hard pass for me. There aren't many single malts I actually dislike, but this makes the list. I can appreciate this on a technical level, but I don't actually enjoy it. I feel like I need to go to Islay and lick some freshly smoked peat to get this taste out 😝.

Nose is stewed fruits with a dusty light floral spritz; think eating orange marmalade on a cracker adjacent to a wedding bouquet. Go too deep and you’ll find ethanol, but keep your nose above that and it’s rather pleasing, if not exactly exciting. Palate opens creamy sweet with more stone fruits and vanilla, midway turning to bitter grass and then even more bitter wood before a tingly, dry close. Very similar to the Oban 18, lacking only a little depth of flavor and the silkiness and maybe a smidge of the sweetness. I actually prefer this to the 18 because it’s more steady throughout, there are no disappointing surprises. It’s 95% of the 18 year experience, at 40% of the cost. It’s also a glaring reminder to not spend more than $80 on anything Diageo (except maybe Laga 12).

Nose - grapes, stone fruit, and a trace of vanilla, no burn Taste - a bit of oakyness, vanilla with a touch of honey, tingle from the alcohol on the tongue Finish - slight bit of grape flavor with more honey, sweetness that tapers off with a burn left on the tongue for a moment, harsh with the burn at first but settles as the bottle went on Score - 4.0 Scoring Legend 5.0 - Outstanding, unmatched to others 4.5 - Excellent, I will always keep a bottle in stock if possible 4.0 - Very good, quite enjoyable to drink, can consider as a solid choice 3.5 - Good, would taste again 3.0 - Average 2.5 - Acceptable, still drinkable 2.0 - Inferior, able to drink but not enjoyable 1.5 and below—wouldn’t drink again unless I am desperate

Open 9 months Nose - Black pepper, ocean brine, honeysuckle, Honey Nut Cheerios, green apple, conifer mix, light oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Very light honey and honeysuckle, peppery malt, brine, green apple, pear, spiced orange, and hint of bitterness. Finish is medium-short with more dry oak tannins, black pepper, over steeped chai tea, and light ethanol. This was a holiday gift, something I don't see in NC despite the presence of Oban 14. While much cheaper than Oban 14, this isn't as good. I like it, but if you desire an affordable Highland-style malt with a clear ocean influence, I recommend the cheaper Old Pulteney 12. Or for a similar price the unpeated Bruichladdich.

Nose: light fruit, mild citrus, a tinge of caramel and wood (not having this out of a proper glass so nose is a bit muted) Palate: mild peat, very low smoke, bright fruitiness, a berries and cream note. Soft woodiness that blends into the drying finish. Almost a dark/earthy Sherry note. Hints of caramel, honey, and a tiny brown sugar Finish: mild drying and wood tanin. Smooth with a hint of fruit, a bit of phenolic/rubber