Oban 12 Year Old (Special Release 2021)

Part of Diageo's annual Special Releases, an outturn running for over 20 years, always cask strength, non-chill filtered and built to showcase each distillery at its best. Oban is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, founded in 1794, and famously bridges the Highland and Island styles with just two small stills. This 12 year old was distilled in 2008 and drawn from freshly charred American virgin oak casks, giving it real spice on top of Oban's usual easy drinking character. Bottled at cask strength, 56.2% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Restrained and subtly maritime, with distant smoke, seaweed and iodine. A pungent hit of mustard and salted crackers, hints of green banana and unripe gooseberry.

Palate: Spicy upfront, Szechuan pepper and cloves, before the spice fades into fruit and subtle vanilla. Green apple, lemon and grapefruit, with a powerful chilli kick and light bitterness from green walnut.

Finish: Long, prickly and warming, gingery heat with salty, resinous notes and a lingering trace of vanilla.

The most powerful, maritime expression of Oban out there, definitely not one for beginners. That fresh virgin oak really punches up the spice against Oban's usually gentle house style, making it a genuinely different experience to the standard 14 Year Old.