Whisky: Oban 11 Year, 2023 Special Release

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 58%

Cask: Caribbean Pot Still Rum Finish

Age: 11 Years (Bottled 2023)

Nose: Saltwater taffy or tinned tropical fruits in syrup with metallic pineapple; passion fruit curd, brown sugar, and fermenting orange rinds; more subtle background notions of mint, licorice, brine, and slightly acrid smoke on occasion.

Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy, saltwater taffy, tinned tropical fruits and fermented breadfruit, overripe guava, pineapple rings, and mango alongside metallic notions of tin or iron, a salty or mineral bite which turned peppery and spirited at times.

Finish: Medium-length with pepper, tropical fruits, and a metallic kiss.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Tinned Delights on the Boardwalk

Narrative & Notes: The aroma featured a lovely melange of saltwater taffy, tropical fruits, and tin— like cracking a canned tropical fruit medley and biting into a slightly metallic pineapple chunk. Tart passionfruit curd teamed with rich brown sugar and sweet-funky fermenting orange rinds as more subtle notions of licorice and muddle mint cocktails developed in the background. Medium-bodied, the palate followed a similar path with more funky fermented fruits than on the nose and a bigger helping of peppery spirit prickle.  The finish was nice, with tropical fruits and a metallic kiss waving goodbye.

I found this a touch more youthful, sugary, and simple than the last couple of releases, though still perfectly pleasant to sip on.  A few drops of water helped to dull the spirit and bring more typical orange notes out on the palate.  I imagine an open bottle would develop beautifully as the spirit notes fade away. Since I thought water improved this a good bit, I rather wish it had just been bottled closer to 43-46% and packaged as an Oban limited edition rather than part of the Diageo 2023 Special Release lineup.

Overall, lovely stuff—even though it felt more spirited and sugary-sweet, it had some of the complexity that was lacking in 2022, though both fell shy of the 2021 release. Sadly, there is not much Oban to go around, so one has to take what one can get.