Oban Little Bay

It starts off floral and fruity with a light spice. Then, moves towards a smokey oak. It has a smooth hint of honey finish. The oak finish lingers on the tongue afterward. My bourbon drinking buddies, who dislike peat heavy Scotch, love this and ask for more.

Gentle plum and apricot open to a ginger/clove sea salt middle that ends on a Granny Smith apple and orange marmalade finish.

Nice light copper color. Rich nose with lots of pear. Zesty and full of flavor. Light peat with some salt and spice. Getting more heat than the 43% would lead me to believe, but it’s a pleasant heat. Nice smooth, creamy mouthfeel with abundant wood notes on the backend. 3.89.

N- apples, floral, herbal, orange, milk chocolate P- floral, sea spray, candied orange peel, cinnamon, salty chocolate F- spicy, more cinnamon

So to start, I am pairing this with Salted Caramel Fudge, so my notes might be influenced by those flavors. This is a NAS meaning it could be as young as 3 years old, but I would guess around 4-6 years in quarter casks. Color: Straw gold Nose: Malty sweetness, caramel, and sea air, and a touch of orange zest. No real harshness, but not complex. Nosing it a bit more I get a vivid image of fresh saltwater taffy being stretched. Pallet: The youth shows, as the first bit is harsh, mellows a bit with some nice oak notes, and then white pepper spice builds. Finish: Off note of bitter varnish and oak... this is not pleasing at all... a bit of dark chocolate surfaces at the tail end. The nose writes a check that the pallet and finish could not cash... Not sure if it is how long the bottle has been opened, or if my pallet has changed drastically, or if the fudge changed something, but I remember this being better...