12 Whiskeys of Christmas Entry 6:
Sponsored by
@NurseDave and Kuh-kuh Pow!
Tonight is 1/3 of bottle #6 - Oban 14 year West Highland Single Malt Scotch
Tonight’s sample is going to be taken neat. Tonight, before the taste, I had a dinner of a Greek Chicken with potatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives (salty and savory).
I remember Dave posting a whole back about bringing in a bottle of Oban but I’ve never tried it. It’s got a decent age date though, so let’s see!
First, a few sniffs after the dram is poured I’m definitely getting citrus of orange and a very high, dry note above the alcohol. A couple descriptions list a hay note. I don’t get the actual smell of hay (thank goodness) but the dry smell of a room full of hay I do get - the dryness that seems to steal moisture from the air. I caught the hint of clove mentioned after reading about it.
So what does Oban 14 taste like? Phew...that’s a complicated flavor! I think I went through at least three distinct levels of taste in seconds. There’s a good amount of fire to the whole sip (but a developed one, not one you’d get from a scotch being “young”). The first stage is very brief, almost gone as soon as you taste it. It’s strangely sweet and spiced. The second lingers a second or two longer. A walloping punch of general scotch flavor, spiced up. The final stage is dry, smoky, woody, and a medium char. There’s a slightly olive aftertaste 20-30 second after the sip.
Oban has quite a lot of depth to the sip! It’s probably the most complicated whiskey I’ve tried so far. I don’t think I’d buy a bottle (it’s way out of my price range anyway). It would be a fun once-in-a-while sipper though!
Blended Malt Scotch Rankings:
1) Naked Grouse
2) Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year
3) Monkey Shoulder
Single Malt Scotch Rankings:
1) Grangestone 12 year
2) Glenlivet Founder’s
3) Glenmorangie 10 year
4) Oban 14 year
Bourbon Rankings:
1) Eagle Rare
2) Buffalo Trace
3) Woodford Double Oaked Straight
4) Jim Beam Black
5) Larceny
Rye Whiskey Rankings:
1) Sazerac Straight Rye
