I’m always on the look-out for Oban releases. They’re rarely cracking, yet I have a bit of an underdog attraction to this distillery. The standard Oban 14 offers nice complexity for the price.
In the 2025 Special Releases we’re having this Oban 12 Year Old. A fairly classic release, fully matured in ex-bourbon casks.
Oban 12 yo ‘Heart of the Harbour’ (54,7%, OB Special Releases 2025, ex-bourbon American oak)
Nose: gentle and inviting. Stewed apples, even light whiffs of papaya and tinned pineapple, along with honeyed notes and some vanilla sugar. Then plenty of biscuity notes and cake, some nougat and subtle waxy elements. Sweet lemon candy. Just a faint coastal touch in the background, along with walnuts and a whiff of (sweet) mustard.
Mouth: creamy and still very bourbonny. Still some light tropical hints, including bananas and gooseberries. This turns towards sharper zesty lemons and grapefruits after a while. Tangy spice like ginger, clove and salt add more sharpness. Then linden tea, bready notes, liquorice, white pepper and increasing coastal notes.
Finish: medium length, with the same mix of vanilla sweetness, firm wood spice and mild coastal notes.
Good start, I often like this kind of semi-tropical fruity style of bourbon oak. However on the palate it gets sharper with edge spices. More to my liking than the 2024 edition. Already available from retailers like The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt, as well as many local retailers.