Oban Little Bay

Surprising and summery without being light. There's a definite note of stone fruit in the body and it's certainly very drinkable - a nice NAS offering, but nothing on the standard releases from Oban.

Finishing my last two episodes of "Billions" since the Mets are faltering against the Brewers wanting to enjoy my pour of this Oban, thanks to Ryan from SDT group. Oban 14 has not really struck with me and has this reputation that precedes it and sometimes I find myself wondering what others are getting from it. Maybe this is the one? The nose is faint. Citrus orange peel is the primary note. Confectionary sugar sweetens the nose. Apricot and honey with a touch of maritime sea salt all nicely detectable. The orange citrus, over time, transforms to orange creamsicle as the bitter peel is insfused with the sweeter aromas. Working towards the palate, the initial draw is bittersweet: unripened apples with caramel blend providing this sensation. Wood tannins, vanilla, honey all blend together keeping that bittersweet sensation. Give it time, and the sweetness strenthens and is much improved. Finally, the finish is long yet not terribly dynamic leaving the palate filled with orange bitters, drying oak and cloves. A fine malt, but once again, for me, falls a bit short of being exceptional. Don't get me wrong, the aromas, the flavors and the finish are enjoyable and the ying-yang of bitter to sweet has a nice play with a slight sophistication. A dram that is worth seeking out. Oban may have a following and a name and other seem to connect. But my connection/experience to it, like with Oban 14 (and another brand, Glenmorangie), is not on the same plane. [Dry Glass: Cracker Jacks][85/100][Tasted: 5/15/17]

Back at my new local whisky bar to celebrate passing my Prince2 exam...wohoo! Usually I'm not a fan of trying whiskies in bars as you never know how long the bottle has been opened. However as the bar itself has only been opened 3 months most bottles should be optimal for tasting which so far has proved right. So enough of the preamble... what's the whisky like? I liked the 14 and nudged it up to a 4 once value was taken into account, this one...is good but nothing really excites me or stands out about it. I miss the more viscous smokiness of the 14. It's a 30% price premium to the 14 as well. The final nail in the scoring coffin was I tried Springbank 15 (similar price) immediately after which was really good so once i did the comparison this gets a 3.4 rounding down to a 3.