Slainte-Mhath
Oban 14 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
December 9, 2018 (edited August 13, 2019)
Representing the West Highlands in Diageo's Classic Malts of Scotland, Oban 14 features a mineral and slightly salty character. The aroma is both engaging and complex with juicy blood oranges, toffee, fresh tobacco and a lovely coastal touch. After its briny and spicy arrival, the taste develops with intense wood influence, bitter walnuts and a surprising flash of menthol. Astringent dryness and distant hints of spearmint remain of a weak and quickly gone finish, where chill-filtration has taken its toll. Not the greatest malt of the range, but worth a try.
RATING: 3.4/5.0 stars ≙ 82 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [-]
42.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@Slainte-Mhath good point. I’m not sure what specifically is going on in this expression, but it has a slightly off putting wood taste in the finish that taints what is otherwise a very good whisky.
@deuce26 It is a bit surprising that a whisky can be too cask-dominated at only 14 years, given that it was not matured in virgin oak. I have experienced that in some 30 years and older malts, but usually not at 12-18 years.
@Slainte-Mhath I agree. It’s pretty solid , but too oaky for me.
Additional comment: This is a re-review of Oban 14 which I last visited in January 2016. Batch variation seems not to be an issue with this Single Malt, which is good. I still dislike the wood intense, dry flavor profile but I am sure it has its fans. The finish remains the weakest part of this whisky, which is a bit unfortunate, as the rest of the presentation is really nice. Overall, it is a bit expensive, though.