The_Rev
Oban Little Bay
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
December 18, 2016 (edited January 20, 2020)
Let's get this off my chest to begin: I think Oban is a little overrated. People act like the best hooch in the galaxy comes off the stills there, and while I genuinely enjoy their whisky...I mean, c'mon. It's good, but not the mother of all whiskies. The Little Bay NAS, regardless of distillery reputation, is pretty darn tasty, however. The nose is pure fruit salad - honey, mint, apple, pear, a little something salty, a little squeeze of citrus. That's a pretty good picture of what you find on the palate, as well, opening sweet and fruity, then gradually ending with sea spray and lemon. The finish isn't particularly long, lingering, or complex, but it's a fine, easy sipper of a dram. I think the price tag I've seen for a bottle of this is obscene (Oban, in any stripe, is NOT a top-shelf, empty-my-wallet-to-get-some bottle), but I most certainly would not turn down a dram if it were offered to me.
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I found Oban not much of an event - rather boring and certainly overrated. Even the 14-year-old Single Malt was lacking character and complexity. Sure, I wouldn't turn down a dram if offered, and it's not a bad whisky, but I'd probably not waste money on buying a bottle of it. Nice review!
Agreed completely, both on the quality and the price. I think the Diageo marketing branch has managed to find a few distilleries with a bit of a backstory, and then milk it for all it's worth.
Totally agree with everything you stated in regards to Oban. I have not tried this, but the 14 is decent/average and on the pricey side.