Oban 14 Year Shelf Review
Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.
Diving into Oban’s flagship core product, their 14-year expression, is like taking a trip to the Scottish Isles. It’s a distinctly costal experience, brought to the whisky by Oban’s proximity to the sea. The sea winds of Scotland’s west coast have a profound effect on the distillate as it ages, producing a meaty and briny style of whisky.
Age: 14 Year
ABV: 43%
Cask: Various
MSRP: $70
Distillery Name: Oban
Review Date: 12/8/20
Color: Amber
Nose: Sweet, salty and earthy. The earthy tones come through like freshly tilled soil. Lots of iodine and herbs. Hints of orange marmalade and green banana provide sweet undercurrents. And just a puff of smoke makes an appearance.
Palate: The palate is like eating a three-course meal. It starts off with notes of herbs, tree bark, leather, smoke, and malt. It then moves onto strong notes of cured meats and salted fish. You can taste seaweed and brine in the mid-palate. It finally finishes with hints of sweet toasted coconut, honey, and bitter black tea. The mouthfeel decent, but not extraordinary. This could likely benefit with a touch more proof to give it more weight.
Finish: The finish features more salted meats with a smokey and dry finish. The peat comes to life on the finish and lingers and coalescences with the wood notes leaving you with quite a dry finish.
Final Thoughts: While many people swear by Oban 14, it is a touch too savory for my palate. The strong meaty notes don’t feel balanced and leaves a rather dry mouthfeel and finish. The level of smokiness is fine, not a huge distraction for me, but I felt that this didn’t have enough intrigue for me. And at its suggested MSRP, there are other 14-year-old whiskies I would grab instead. But if I ever did need to substitute a whole meal in one drink, this would be it.
