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Liquor Review: Oban 14-year

Published on November 20th, 2007 in Liquors of the Month, Scotch by Hunter

Oban 14-year is produced in a small town called Oban in Argyll. It’s located just inside the shores of Lorn near a span of cliffs and natural caves that are said to be the sheltering place of the original settlers of the mainland around 5,000 B.C. The small town of Oban actually grew up around the distillery after its construction in 1794. The distillery only has two pot stills, making it one of Scotland’s smallest. In production since 1988, the 14-year single malt Scotch is the distillery’s flagship product and is one of only two remaining Western Highland malts. I appreciate their focus, and I would actually consider moving to the town just to be closer to the magical place where this liquor is born and aged.

Oban 14-year comes in a very attractive case and bottle. The cylindrical case depicts the rocky cliffs that are the backdrop to the town of Oban, and the bottle exudes a simple, yet regal look. The Scotch itself is of a rich golden color that lightens to a near-yellow hue when poured on the rocks. Its aroma is rather light and extremely pleasant. Oban 14-year smells like a fine oak barrel that has been dipped in the sweetest of sweet milk chocolate and then garnished with fresh fruit. The smell alone is enough to nearly bring tears of joy to my eyes.

Oban is silky-smooth to sip. This malt goes down extremely smooth and gives you a wonderful warming sensation back up your esophagus and into your mouth. The taste is soft and somewhat fruity, and the finish leaves you with a peaty taste in your mouth after the warming sensation subsides. That peaty aftertaste leaves you very satisfied and at ease. The taste of the malt is not extremely complex, which may disappoint those Scotch drinkers that enjoy dissecting complex infusions while sipping, but the experience of drinking Oban is truly remarkable. I have never enjoyed a Scotch quite as much as Oban 14-year. The exquisite smoothness and impressive warming sensation of this Scotch make it top-notch in my book. I would drink a glass of this stuff every night for dessert if my wallet would allow it.

At 86-proof, you would expect Oban to give you a nice buzz, but it really exceeds those expectations. Don’t let the smoothness fool you. After a few glasses, I was swaying to my own rhythm in How can you not love her? my chair and enjoying the hell out of watching Megan Fox show her goods in Transformers. I suppose the movie was pretty good, but my focus was too much on her to really give an honest and fair review (this is a liquor site anyway, not a movie site). I’m sure Megan, that’s what I call her, would really appreciate my taste in liquor and movies. I’m sure we would get along very well and be the best couple on earth. I love her, and that’s all that really matters. Now, back to business. The Oban buzz was a very light one. I wasn’t really slurring words or anything, but I felt really in-tune with my surroundings and at peace with everything. It was a very relaxing experience, but I was very much ready to take it to the streets and local bars.

Another bright spot to Oban 14-year is the fact that it really left me with no hangover. I had a case of dry-mouth in the morning, but after drinking a couple glasses of water, I felt like a million bucks. I might have poured another glass of Oban, but I wanted to save it for a special occassion…such as writing this review.

The only drawback to Oban 14-year is the price. At around $77, it will hurt your wallet pretty badly. However, when you consider that the cramped nature of the area around the distillery severely limits production, the price doesn’t seem too steep. I have consumed Scotches that cost four times the price of Oban that really don’t hold a candle to its unique sipping experience. It’s worth noting that the bottle we used in the review process was an especially tasty bottle. I have purchased a handful of bottles of Oban 14-year in the past, but none of them have tasted quite like this bottle. They all have been worth the price of admission, but this bottle is something special. That’s the nature of single-barrel Scotches; every bottle tastes different. All things considered, Oban 14-year is one of the single best liquors that has ever found its way into my welcoming belly. Even if you are not much of a Scotch drinker, do yourself a favor, and pick up a bottle of Oban 14-year for a special occasion. Maybe I’ll send Megan a bottle; she just may love me for it.

November 2007 Sipability – 9.5