Oban Distillers Edition 15 Years Old 1995

Bottled in 2010 from a 1995 vintage, this 15 year old is the elder of the distillery's two 1995 Distillers Editions, both finished in Montilla Fino sherry. It comes from the small coastal distillery founded in 1794, set in the harbour town that grew up around it, working two of the smallest stills in Scotland.

The whisky was double matured, ex-Bourbon oak first and then the driest style of sherry. A long ferment feeds the little lantern stills, the spirit cooled in worm tubs run warm to keep the copper working, so the make stays mild and fruity for the Fino to season. Oban warehouses its casks close to the shore, and that maritime air is part of why the spirit carries a clear salt, a note the dry finish lifts rather than buries under sweetness.

Held at 43%, the dram is crisp and savoury. The flor dried cask gives almond, a nutty dryness and a clear coastal salt in place of raisin, the oak adding light vanilla and a touch of cream. Honey and orchard fruit sit beneath, a faint smoke running through a long, nutty finish. Set beside the younger 1995 release, it shows the small effect an extra year in wood can have.