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Oban 12-year-old

Overall rating
86.86/100
votes
241
Whiskybase ID
WB184604
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Diageo Special Releases 2021
Bottled
2021
Stated Age
12 years old
Casktype
ex-Bourbon and refill Casks
Strength
56.2 % Vol.
Size
700 ml 750 ml
Barcode
5000281067490
Added on
29 may 2021 9:17 pm by JohnnyTheSmoker
UncoloredNon-chillfilteredCask Strength
Oban 12-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Oban 12-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Oban 12-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Oban 12-year-old
Photo by thebase

Average value

€ 129.04

Found 96 online shops. Lowest price:

£ 104.00
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241 × member ratings

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Whisky Reviews for Oban 12-year-old

51 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 86.86 points

  1. markjedi1 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Ah, Oban... It never disappoints, does it? Anyway, at Whivie HQ we are crazy about it, so we were happy that an Oban has also appeared in the series this year. 'The Tale of Two Foxes' must refer to the two types of casks that were used for maturation, I assume? Ex-Bourbon and European refill barrels in this case. Let's have a taste.
    Oban normally shows soft maritime traits, but here they are really prominent and dominant and... it works perfectly! Seaweed, salt, apples and bananas, pebbles on the beach, a handful of nuts and an olive in the background. Not necessarily in that order. Give it a few minutes in the glass and it opens completely and becomes slightly sweeter, but also a lot more complex. Delicious!
    Great mouthfeel. Nice and oily and very fruity on a lot of citrus,but also great salty notes. Brackish water mixed with honey, apples and banana again, but a surprising waxiness that really appeals to me. Ginger and mustard seeds, white pepper and especially a cartload of sea salt. But what a powerhouse and what a balance.
    The finish... Correction: the Finish is spicy, as clean as the backside of a newborn baby and only extinguishes very slowly. I think I just tasted my best Oban ever (okay, okay, it's only my 15th).

  2. spigray scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
      a bit spirity but you can immediately smell Oban with it´s nice coastal character, dark honey, nuts, apples and some bananas too. Serge found some olives and mustard. No olives here but I am getting the mustard. Opens up with time in the glass and it´s becoming a really lovely nose.
      The only flaw might be the stubborn spiritiness which isn´t really disturbing but a bit distracting and it won´t vanish when diluted.
    • Taste
      91 91
      It´s nicely balanced, coastal, honeyed, malty, nutty and I could have guessed it to be Clynelish which cannot be bad. I must say, it´s pretty much the same as on the nose.
      With water it becomes a bit saltier and even more coastal, the mustard coming through again. And more accessible.
      Very good!
    • Finish
      90 90
      The finish is long and clean. Prickling at the edges of the tongue. Becoming a bit dry.

  3. pianoman scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Fresh, a bit pungent at the beginning. White wine, lemons, a hint of horseradish. Shortbread. Behind some blossom honey and lilac. warm sandstone.
    • Taste
      Creamy, spicy. Cantuccini. White pepper, some chili, lemon ice cream with walnuts. A touch of honey. milk coffee. A touch of salt and green olives.

  4. didi1893 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    A maritime coastal whisky with citrus fruits and a slightly spicy note of pepper. Interesting and tasty, a little too sour for my taste. Highly deserved 87 points!
    • Nose
      Muted yellow fruit, a hint of caramel and toffee, nuts, minimally salty with hints of citrus fruits, apples, bananas, apricots, lemons, maritime and slightly mineral.
    • Taste
      Lemons with banana mash, salty and maritime, a touch of white pepper heats the tongue, tart and spicy wood tones, herbs, slightly waxy, rather tart and dried fruit notes.
    • Finish
      Warm, slightly tart wood, dark yellow fruit, zest of lemons, salt and pepper, a hint of liquorice, minimally sour, long-lasting.

  5. Horror_Vacui scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Nose:
    Quite maritime and salty, but also a bit alcoholic on the nose (Blender's glass).
    A certain acidity is dominant, however, which ranges between (Tetrapak) white wine, pineapple and gooseberry.
    Behind it propolis and candle wax.
    Thyme and oregano.

    Mouth:
    The alcohol in the start and mouth was quite aggressive. Olives, salt. Somewhat retsina, with an almost resinous undertone and a dry feeling in the mouth.
    Here, too, a lot of acidity, sweetness and fruit can only be guessed at.

    Finish:
    Medium long, dry and sour.

    85/100

    Conclusion: Anyone who likes dry and very acidic white wines could like this Oban very much. But it is not my construction site.

  6. Koning scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Oban in full glory. It is a more maritime malt than I remembered, that also shines without sherry casks. One of the best among the 2021 Diageo special releases for sure.
    • Nose
      86 86
      Quite maritime at the first sniff: it's briny, mineral with maybe some mussels and wet dog. Then sweetness is aded by vanilla, caramel, straw and lemons.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Full and oily taste. Maritime with salty olives and fresh citrus fruits, fennel curry spices. Some mustard and a sweter side: vanilla, dulce de leche and honey. Good stuff!
    • Finish
      88 88
      More creamy now, with grapefruits, sweet vanilla, redcurrants before the coastal character comes to the front again: mussels, mineral, a bit of chalk, leather and smoke.

  7. WiltChamberlain scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  8. Othorion scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    A nice straight bourbon cask malt, salty-maritime, very delicate smoke, bananas, apples, seaweed, honey, a few citrus notes, spicy in the mouth, a little pepper, oily, custard with apples, bananas and some roasted nuts. Alcohol is super integrated, it works well without water. The finish is spicy and quite long, drying slightly with salt, a hint of liquorice and lemon zest.

  9. whiskyinstitut scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
      Mineral and citrus fruity, some tin buckets, fresh herb meadow, lemon peel
    • Taste
      88 88
      Mineral and citrus-heavy, creamy and spicy, a lot of power and heat in the mouth, acid-heavy oak
    • Finish
      86 86
      Creamy and oak accentuated, still a lot of warmth, the metal tin bucket stays in the mouth for a long time

  10. eselsim scored this whisky 78 points Expert Senior

    Probably the most disappointing DSR so far, always do the blind tasting! Don't get fooled by the fancy artwork and colorful labels!
    • Nose
      85 85
      Nose was very promising, rich in seasalt, ashes, plastic, damp cellar, grape skins and hints of malt, lightly perfumed, over time damp vanilla and fruit come up.
    • Taste
      75 75
      Very tannic and harsh, which you would've expected to get from Virgin oak cask, in fact it is so tannic that it's nearly impossible to drink it without water, which defies the point of bottling it at CS 56.2% Spices are dominating the palate, a spoonful of ginger powder and chewing on new wood.
    • Finish
      75 75
      All that remains is the annoying spiciness, that's far from Oban I know and I like

  11. ROLOCA scored this whisky 90 points Newbie

    The best Oban I ever had
    • Nose
      99 99
      I can smell the fruity character, oranges, lemon, maritime odors, salt and a bit of smoke. Really nice, very complex
    • Taste
      97 97
      Agressive but surprising, a slap in the face, a punch. Never had such a powerful Oban like that before. Maybe because it is my first cask strength.
    • Finish
      99 99
      Long and warm, perfect!

  12. Dottore scored this whisky 82 points Expert Senior

    The vinegar tinge in the nose unfortunately prevents a real taste experience for me, even if the mouth and finish are convincing
    • Nose
      77 77
      Very sour in the nose. White wine, but you could also go in the direction of vinegar, I find borderline. The note is unfortunately very penetrating, other fragrances have a hard time. Pineapples, bananas and shortbread cookies try their best, but they don't really work out.
    • Taste
      86 86
      Much better in the mouth, tart, subtle smoky, fine cocoa and roasted rye bread notes. Sweet, sponge fingers and spicy tart.
    • Finish
      83 83
      Dry, bitter finish. Espresso. At the very end a slightly sour, fruity note, maybe pineapple. Somewhat metallic and bubbly

  13. grinface scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    A great bottling. A very clear and defined bottling with an emphasis on the maritime side, which for some might already be "to much". I really felt welcomed here and am looking forward to more Oban, which I hope to be able to taste in the future. Even if it's not that easy to find.

    Full review in a session of five Highland region whisky: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2022/04/29/eine-hand-voll-highlands-teil-4/

  14. Calmar scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Powerful and assertive whisky of a classic woody-mineral profile with a sweet slant, bright, juicy, not very deep and varied, but whole.
    • Nose
      Restrained, dry, dried out hardwood boards, candy canes, grain, caustic mineral notes - stone chips, drying plaster; lemon peel, candied citrus fruits, honey-floral shades, vanilla, white pepper.
    • Taste
      Powerful, rich, oak, grain, powerful pepper wave, mineral notes - chalk, stone dust; vanilla, sweet candy notes, cigarette tobacco, ginger, uncoated tablets, metallic taste, bark bitterness.
    • Finish
      Spicy, warming, oak, tablets, tobacco, candied citrus fruits, floral and honey notes, grain.

  15. Squinugie scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      85 85

  16. JacobaEd scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      83 83

  17. MarcinCh scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    Very bright color. Pretty oily.
    • Nose
      84 84
      Mineral. Citrus. Fruit drought. Traces of caramel and vanilla. Sea salt.
    • Taste
      84 84
      Caramel. Sea salt. Minerality. Salty caramel. Dried fruit. A pinch of spices.
    • Finish
      85 85
      Leather. Smoke traces. Minerality. Sea salt. Sea. Quite a long finish.

  18. Dionysus scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      84 84

  19. zzqfyl scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  20. Issie did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    31.01.2022
    • Nose
      Apricot, a bit of passion fruit, lemon, slightly maritime, some caramel, grass, herbs, a bit of wood
      Where is the 56.2% alcohol actually? I don't smell any of that at all.
    • Taste
      Honey, apricot, passion fruit, lemon, lemon fizz, maritime, salty, pepper

  21. the_muskox scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    This bottling is pretty much just what I wanted it to be – quintessential Oban, dialed up to 11. There’s the classic mix of orange, malt, flowers, honey, and a hint of Island-ish salt and smoke, but there’s also tantalizing hints of butter, wax, and tropical fruit that I haven’t gotten from Oban before. I was a little disappointed at first that this whisky was coming across a bit too green, especially with that virgin oak maturation… but time and a dribble of water really helped things come together. It’s still a bit green, but I appreciate being able to try this stripped-down presentation without having to travel all the way to the distillery.
    • Nose
      Sweet and rather young on the nose. Very salty, especially after it rested for a while. Tangerine, banana cream pie, and a hint of passionfruit. White chocolate, browned butter, vanilla, milk tea, and a hint of almond. There’s a hint of peppery peat smoke here, more than I remember getting from other Obans. The pepper peat and floral flavours combine into an almost habanero-ish note.
    • Taste
      Medium-light texture, with a fair amount of alcohol heat. Sweet, spirity, and punchy on the arrival with bright yellow plums, orange zest, honey, and salted caramel. Develops to buttered toast, vanilla, and spicy sea-sprayed oak. A bit more of that milk tea. Toasted coconut, guava, and heady tropical flowers going into the finish.
    • Finish
      Medium short. Orange peel, a hint of wax, and more plums and fresh flowers. Candied pineapple. Honey oat bars and buttery shortbread. Slightly grassy. Trails off into soft fragrant peat smoke with a hints of brine and black pepper.

  22. ConvalRen scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Oban, the typical no-frills and yet no edge whisky. Clean, complex, and well-rounded taste notes. At least Oban is doing something right, unlike that mediocre Talisker and Lagavulin bottling.
    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  23. JimJaws scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      91 91

  24. Eigerle scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    A not everyone's dram. You have to be into very dry white wines in order to be able to get used to drinking them. Ultimately, for me, a great nose and a rough, but not boring palate let me forget the inflated price. Really something special - not typical Oban.
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      84 84

  25. whiskytornado scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  26. Dris scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  27. Whiskylifestyle scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    A clean and straightforward Oban, but very Oban-like if you know what I mean. It needs some time to open up but then it becomes quite nice, although not very complex. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so, but it feels a bit too expensive for what you get.
    • Nose
      Rather clean and with quite some amount of caramel at first. When this settles it becomes a little bit smoky. Which is followed by oranges and a bit of sea salt, but also seaweed. Then vanilla custard and red apples. Unripe pears as well.
    • Taste
      Plenty of oranges here on the arrival. A faint hint of smoke. Vanilla custard. Limes and unripe pears too. Sea salt. A hint of pink grapefruit. White pepper.
    • Finish
      Mid-long and a little bit dry. White pepper and salt. Vanilla. Oranges too.

  28. stashdong scored this whisky 88 points Member Senior

    young yet complex, what a nice surprise
    • Nose
      87 87
      sea breeze, floral, ripe apricot
    • Taste
      88 88
      a bit harsh on taste, creamy and nutty, yellow fruits
    • Finish
      89 89
      long, citrus and orange zing, very fruity one

  29. Georges scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Maritime notes, seaweed, smoky, iodine, fruity (apples, pears, bananas), grappa perfume, olives
    • Taste
      Spicy (pepper, clove), vanilla, fruity (orange peels, grapefruit), salty, liquorice, sherry
    • Finish
      Long, creamy, custard, smoky, briny, salt

  30. geriud scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  31. elipszis scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
      salty
      vanilla
      sponge cake
      apple
      pear
      lemon
      honey
      white wine
      intensive
    • Taste
      91 91
      apple
      pear
      salty
      vanilla
      hint of smoke
      white pepper
      white wine
    • Finish
      92 92
      green apple
      salty
      little bit bitter
      lemon zest
      white pepper
      chardonnay
      medium long finish

  32. Cheesehut-Fellows scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Almost Springbank-esque maltiness, cheese crackers, great casks render vanilla, berries and spice.

  33. WhiskyPEATer scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  34. Hlektrion scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  35. Mapl scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  36. man2392 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    refill American oak and 1 yr rejuvenated oak finish
    Nose: parmesan rind, Himalayan rock salt, scones with clotted cream and damson jam, greengages
    Palate: orange slices and kumquats, cardamom, toffee pennies
    Finish: seaspray and lemons, jasmine

    With water
    Nose: white chocolate, lemon zest, fireplace ash, rich tea biscuits
    Palate: used flower water, orange sherbet
    Finish: desiccated coconut

    Tasted as part of Southport Whisky Club Christmas Diageo Special Releases tasting

  37. Mane140486 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    On the nose: there are hints of white fruit, pear, a sprinkle of salt, vanilla, meringues, almonds, green tea and a slight hint of wick, just blown out candle.
    In the mouth it is lively, with a slight hint of chilli, then there are also notes of white fruit, pear, unripe plum, citrus and marzipan and a hint of a dead fireplace, ash. Rather herbaceous and dry.
    Quite long and dry finish, with almonds, salt, white fruit and citrus fruits.

  38. LittlePeat scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  39. JungleDram scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  40. WhiskyJpg scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  41. Simon Stood scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Nice drinkable Oban, herbaceous sweet, mint-peppery. 22-22-21-22

  42. asmadeus did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    This is a naked Oban, stripped away of its costume put on for the crowd. As is the case with cask strength whisky, every new drop of water peels away a layer of clothing, opening slowly, revealing the innocence, leaving it fragile yet forward and proud. Unlike its Diageo cousin from Islay, the Oban is sweeter and gentler on nose, but just like its siblings from Highlands and Isles, it still packs a punch if you let it in quick. So please take your time, allow all the fire to warm up the room, allow light to fade, then lead naked Oban to sit by your bedside, and hear its tale as you drift away. You'll dream of twin foxes, one red and one brown, as fire and earth mix with water and air, and bring on the spirit distilled in this bottle, from sweetness to sea salt, from orange to smoke.

  43. gaboruso scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  44. Tuco1972 scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  45. whiskyclick scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    NOSE
    -dirt in the back (peat or charr? ) , nice vanilla sweet, floral parfume, fresh grass, malty, salty, vivid dram

    PALATE
    - again vanilla sweetness, but very alcohol punchy, not very complex but beautiful Oban spirit shines here

    FINISH
    -peppery, some sherry casks, medium long.
    With time finish also starts to be more sweet and less peppery.

    CONCLUSION
    Very nice, raw Oban, but you have to be very patient with this dram. It develops very nice, getting more and more sweetness with time, but not overly layerish. The nose is the best part of the dram. Not sure is it worth the current price of 100-120€.
    6/10

  46. TomP scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  47. Glenrothes1973 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  48. Fight65 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Oban with a nice sweetness!
    • Taste
      IT: 87
      B: 87

  49. Ficelli scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      84 84

  50. galg33 scored this whisky 85 points Member Senior

    ose: Oban’s a distillery is a coastal one sitting a spit’s length from Oban ban, so it’s very fitting this one is going to have some coastal and maritime notes, and it does (well, it’ss an Oban), some salty notes, seat spray, mineral, with wet pebbles and perfumed ripe red apples, sitting on a sweet fresh dough pastry almost a hint of grappa perfume here if I might say so, a tad waxy as well which is welcome and maybe a note of pear financier cookies. A lovely beginning. With water, the faintest hint of green olives comes into mind.

    Palate: A bit harsh and brutal entry: quite spicy with a lot of pepper, bitter toasted oak, orange peel, and bitter grapefruit pith, there’s also a salty saline-y touch to it, gone are the perfumed apples, and it’s really more forceful and not as gentle as one can expect from sniffing it. more vanilla and spices make for a not-so-complex palate, but still enjoyable. Feels a bit younger than 12, if I might say so.

    Finish: medium length with a hint of smoke, and more olive brine, salt, and toasted oak. quite frugal.

    Conclusion: A rather “Obany” Oban, a bit simplistic, with a brilliant nose, and a good palate and finish. If you’re an Oban fan, this one’s not going to disappoint, but hey at over 100 quid, not sure about VFM. I am not 100% convinced here.

  51. Mortar1703 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

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