Oban Distillers Edition 2022

This is the 2022 release of Oban's Distillers Edition, the long running line that finishes the West Highland malt in Montilla Fino sherry, here without an age statement. It comes from the small distillery the Stevenson brothers opened in 1794 in the West Highland town of Oban, among Scotland's oldest and smallest distilleries.

The whisky was matured in American oak and then given a second turn in Fino casks, the palest of the sherry styles. Oban's spirit is made on a long ferment and a slow run through tiny lantern stills, cooled in outdoor worm tubs warmed to extend the copper contact, so the make stays gentle and fruity for the dry sherry. Recent editions have dropped the age statement, drawing on a spread of ages rather than a single vintage, while keeping the Montilla Fino finish that has always defined the line.

At 43% the dram is crisp and lightly nutty. The flor dried cask gives roasted almond, a dry edge and a coastal salt rather than dark fruit, with a light vanilla from the wood. Honey, orchard fruit and salt spray sit beneath, soft smoke running through a long, savoury finish. Even without an age statement, the dry Fino signature of the line comes through clearly.