Oban 12 Year Old 2008 - Diageo Special Releases 2021

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).

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