Review #94 - Oban 10 Year - Diageo Special Release 2022
10 Year Highlander Series: Part 4 of 4
Our last 10 year Highlander for the time being, and we're back to the mainland, to the West coast - it's Oban, specifically Diageo's special release from 2022. It was aged for 10 years in a combination of new American oak, refill American oak, and Amontillado sherry-seasoned casks.
When we came across this last year, we were a little bit divided on whether or not to purchase it. A Diageo special release? Famous for being overpriced with very mixed quality, which isn't something we would generally go for. But a malt from Oban, presented at cask strength? Well, that's definitely up our alley. We debated for a few weeks, but ended up pulling the trigger.
Oban 10 Year - Diageo Special Release 2022
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 105 (2022)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 130 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 57.1% ABV
Cask Makeup: New and refill American oak, Amontillado sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 5 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A bit dense, hot, and closed up at first - it takes some time to open up. Then it's rich and so juicy fruity that it's ridiculous; mango, ripe peach and nectarine, orange, plum and prune, and a TON of bubblegum, some syrupy stone fruits as well. Lots of sweet cream and peppermint candy as well, some spearmint, vanilla bean, icing sugar and some sickly sweet perfume all add to the saccharine tones. The oak influence is mild and slightly dry, a bit of white pepper and some richer charred oak and just hint of old polished furniture wood. In one tasting we found baking notes: dark brown sugar and some shortbread, a bit of honey in there, too. In another tasting, we found more classic Highland whisky notes like heather and dried grass, some hay and effervescence. There's the occasional funk, and it's an oversweet affair as a whole.
Palate: Mouthfeel is medium-thick; strong perfume and wine gums, lots of hard fruit creme candy and bubblegum and baking spices of brown sugar, white pepper, and honey. It's pretty unique and can be a bit overpowering with its boldness and almost artificially punchy flavors, but there are plenty more layers to explore. Fruity flavors of rum-soaked pineapple, apples, peaches, and stone fruit waft in, and then we get a very strong flowery note, along with mint, candy canes, and fizzy cotton candy, almost like a rye cask finish. We did occasionally find some nice aged whisky notes of syrupy oak and furniture polish, but there was also some spirit influence there, sharp and with barley sugar. We end with even more sweet flavors: molasses, lots of vanilla, butterscotch, buttered rum, and pancakes.
Finish: Medium-long, and some heat and oiliness from the bottling strength is hanging around. The coastal Highland character finally starts to creep out now: floral and soft tickling oak, a whiff of sea salt, honey and vanilla. There's a certain cinnamon and clove spice from the oak, but we're quickly back to sugar notes: sugar cane, peppermint, and some simple syrup are all here. There's a bit of fizz again, and we end with a mild chemical aftertaste.
Final Note: Quite unique and potent, but it can come across as slightly artificial. Can't say it lacks flavor, but is it always good flavor? The cask influence is very heavy, and this is hardly recognizable as Oban distillate due to the layers of sickly sweet fruits and bubblegum/cotton candy. So... points for individuality, but not for subtlety. If you're a fan of cask-forward whiskies, you may rate this a bit higher than us. As for value - it's often the trick with Diageo products, and especially with the annual special releases, because the pricing is already high, and only getting higher. We picked this up for just over $100, and we probably wouldn't pay that again for it; now, for us to buy it locally, asking price is closer to $130.
Our Average Rating: 7.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.15
Check out some of our other Oban reviews:
