Oban 14 Year (Highland Scottish single malt whisky: 14 Year: 43% ABV)

Visual: Pure gold.

Viscosity: Very slow slothful streaks.

Nose: Grain and wheat, the lightest hint of peat but subtle and understated. Bails of hay in storage rooms, farm animal food pellets.

Body: Light burnt feel, harsh grain and slight salt. Light honey back. Slightly sour. Rhubarb with just a touch of sugar. Bit of vanilla, then some floral.

Finish: Smoke, feel of turned earth. Again some salt. Real rising fire and extending the salt.

Conclusion: Such an incredibly balanced whisky, telling a fine tale of the distilleries placement as a border guard between the highlands and the islands. Bitter and harsh elements are distinctly noticeable but not to the point that it becomes the whole of the whisky.

It’s not got fire, light sweetness or peatiness taken too far, each element is balanced by the other – It aims for a knife edge balance and subtlety.

Whilst I must admit my favourite whiskeys have a touch more of the extremes I can but take my hat off to the skill taken to make this whisky.

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