Oban 14 Year Old
A grower
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Review by @WhiskyBee
- Nose~
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I bought a bottle of Oban 14 yo on the recommendation of a well-informed store clerk. I knew reviews on this one were all over the place, but the clerk's analysis convinced me it was worth a shot.
My first impression was...meh. Not bad, not great. I'll finish the bottle eventually. But I thought it unlikely that it would ever be one of my go-to whiskies.
Then I began to appreciate it as a perfect evening-ender. I have a few drams about two or three days per week, and I usually start light, move to moderate, and end with a peat blast.
Ending with a big Islay peat, however, left a pine-y sweetness in the back of my mouth, and I found myself craving something salty to balance it out. Oban was perfect for this purpose. As a follow-up to an Ardbeg or a Lagavulin, it tasted more delicious than ever.
It's still not a whisky I'd choose if I wanted just a single dram. But it's found its spot in my Sunday-afternoon tasting sessions, and it's now a must-have on my shelf.
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Mild mannered stuff. Expect the Oban 14 to get a lot sweeter with some oxidation. If the bottle is still very new, you may not be tasting the full sweetness that comes later with Oban 14.