🥃 Oban

Oban is a distillery and Scotch single malt whisky brand in the port town of Oban on Scotland's west coast. It is one of the smallest distilleries in the country, with just two copper stills. The current owner is Diageo, and the core expression is the 14-year-old Oban, sold at 43% ABV.

History. The distillery is linked to the Stevenson brothers. According to Whiskypedia, they built a brewery in 1793, distilling is recorded from 1794, and the first official records date from 1799, so sources give different founding years. The town of Oban grew up around the harbor only later. The distillery passed from the family to later owners, including United Distillers; Diageo has held it since 1997.

How it is made. There are two stills, and both are small: the wash still holds 11,000 liters, the spirit still 6,600. The copper stills are shaped a little like lamp glasses. The condensers are wooden worm tubs standing outdoors, where the spirit is cooled under salty sea air. The malt is lightly peated, and Whiskypedia names the water source as the Loch Gleann a' Bhearraidh.

The range. The core expression is Oban 14 Years Old, part of Diageo's Classic Malts series, where it represents the “Western Highlands”. According to Difford's Guide, it is bottled at 43% ABV. Whiskypedia also mentions limited releases: a 32-year-old in 2002, with 6,000 bottles, and a 21-year-old in 2013. Separately, Diageo issues a Distillers Edition.

Why this matters to you. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, Single Malt is whisky from one distillery, made from water and malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills and matured in Scotland for at least 3 years in oak casks of up to 700 liters, at a minimum of 40% ABV. The age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. In style Oban is moderately smoky, but not like the whiskies of Islay. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.