Oban Distillers Edition 14 Years Old 1995

From a 1995 vintage bottled in 2009, this 14 year old is drawn a year younger than the distillery's other 1995 release. Both belong to the Distillers Edition, finished in Montilla Fino sherry, and both come from the small distillery the Stevenson brothers founded in 1794, in the seafront town of Oban in Argyll.

A first maturation in ex-Bourbon oak was followed by a finishing spell in pale, dry Fino wood. Oban makes its spirit on two of Scotland's smallest stills and cools it in outdoor worm condensers, the warm water prolonging the copper contact that keeps the make gentle and fruity. Bottled a year before fifteen, it shows how even a single year and a slightly different cask spell can shift the balance of an otherwise steady annual release.

At 43% it tilts savoury. Roasted almond, a faint biscuity note and a salty tang come from the pale sherry rather than dark fruit, the flor keeping the finish dry while the oak gives a soft vanilla. The salt sharpens honey, orange peel and brine, gentle smoke trailing a long, dry close. Tasted next to the older edition, the younger spirit reads a touch fresher and brighter.