Oban 13 Years Old The Manager’s Dram

The Manager's Dram was an internal series in which staff chose a cask strength bottling for company employees, making surviving bottles scarce on the open market. This 13 year old Oban came from the little distillery on the Oban shore first run in 1794, one of the country's oldest surviving distilleries, still running its two little stills in the heart of the harbour town.

Maturation was in Oloroso sherry casks, the rich oxidative style of sherry, drawn at full strength rather than reduced for general sale. The spirit comes slowly off the small lamp shaped stills and condensed in the outdoor worm tub condensers, the long copper contact keeping it gentle and fruity so the heavy sherry wood has a clean base to enrich. Manager's Dram bottlings were filled for company staff rather than sale, so surviving bottles are scarce and sought after by collectors of older Oban.

Bottled at a fierce 62%, this is Oban at full power. The Oloroso cask's melanoidins give raisin, fig and a deep walnut note, residual sugars add date and a touch of treacle, and vanillin from the wood lends vanilla under the dried fruit. Oban's honey and a briny lift sit beneath, the finish long, sweet and warming, needing water to open fully.