Company: Diageo
Distillery: Oban Distillery
Region: Oban, Scotland
Aging: 15 Years plus 4 years in Oloroso Sherry and Palo Cortado Sherry Casks
ABV: 55.3% ABV
Proof: 110.6 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Single Malt
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $150
Oban 15 Year Cask Strength Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Golden Honey
Nose: Raisin, cinnamon oatmeal, rich dark fruits, black cherry, plum, caramel, vanilla, baking spice, light toasted oak
Palate: Rich caramel, toasted oak, raisin, cinnamon spice, lovely stewed fruits, plum, hints of citrus, chocolate, light pepper, vanilla, a bit briny with notes of subtle peat
Finish: Rich and bold finish compared to other non-cask strength Oban whiskeys I’ve tasted. The finish is packed full of flavor, has a nice oily mouthfeel that really sticks around quite a long time. It leaves you with lovely fruit flavors, caramel, toasted oak, and best of all is the cinnamon spice and light pepper notes
Is Oban 15 Year Cask Strength an Approachable Whisky?
Oban’s 15 Year Cask Strength edition is absolutely delicious and quite easy to drink.
While it is cask strength and comes in at 55.3% ABV, its flavors are so bold that most will not have a problem with any heat which make it very approachable.
Is Oban 15 Year Cask Strength Complex?
Oban 15 Year is quite complex with many layers of flavor.
I’m a big fan of the standard Oban 14 Year but the Oban 15 Year is not only cask strength, but also finished in Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherry which adds rich fruits to the flavor profile.
It is much bigger and bolder than many other Oban bottles I have tasted and reviewed.
To start, the nose has your traditional Oban notes like raisin, light hints of peat, and vanilla.
On top of those, the 15 Year offers a bit more of the rich fruits from the Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry while also stealing away some of the oak and woody flavors from those barrels.
On the palate you’re met with even more richness than on the nose.
The sherry finishes give this whiskey an extremely potent kick of dark fruits flavors which really elevate the whisky.
The finish is quite rich as well which I would expect from a cask strength Scotch at 110.6 Proof.
The finish is nice and oily and the flavors coat your mouth for quite a long time.
I really enjoy the cinnamon spice, oak, and hints of pepper on the tail end as well.
What are Oban 15 Year Cask Strength’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Oban 15 Year’s strongest flavors are most certainly the delicate blend of your standard Oban raisin notes paired with rich layers of dark fruits that are added from the 4 years in Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry finish.
Is Oban 15 Year Cask Strength a go-to whisky?
If I could get this bottle on a regular basis I would buy it all the time.
It hasn’t released in my home state of Pennsylvania quite yet, so I found this bottle while visiting Ohio.
Even though the price tag is a bit steep, the bottle really is one I would drink regularly.
Is Oban 15 Year Cask Strength priced accurately to its quality?
Oban 15 Year Cask Strength is priced decently for what the bottle delivers.
The flavors do back up the price tag, but with that being said, I think this bottle would sell a lot better if it were priced at the $125 price point.
Laphroaig is releasing it’s cask strength bottles at $100 and while this Oban 15 Year is a bit richer than the Laphroaig, it’s also 50% more expensive.
Conclusion for Oban 15 Year Cask Strength
Oban 15 Year Cask Strength is absolutely delicious.
If you’re a person who enjoys Oban 14 year, this bottle is a major step up and I would highly recommend getting yourself a bottle.
It may not be a bottle you will stock up on due to the price tag, but anyone who is a fan of Scotch will want to try this one at least once.
As I continued to sip this whiskey throughout this review, the flavors continue to get fuller and richer.
This is an excellent bottle of Scotch and I hope you all have the chance to try it out.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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