Oban & The West: Seaside Serenity in a Glass - Justerini & Brooks

Since 1794 the town of Oban has grown up with a distillery proudly located at its heart. This pretty seaside town is best viewed from up top of the Battery Hill amongst the Colosseum esque McCaig’s Tower; a solid granite structure commissioned by a rich banker to keep the stone masons of the town employed. On a clear day you can see Kerrera and even Mull. The town is a magnet for the west coast of Scotland’s keenest holiday makers who flock to its shores for not only for the world class whisky our American cousins call OH-Ban, but some of Scotland’s finest seafood, ice cream and general seaside fun.

The tiny distillery at Oban was founded by brothers Hugh and John Stevenson in 1794, and the town grew around it. Expansion is impossible, meaning that Oban is one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries; so small that there is no room for the worm tubs outside the still house. Instead, they can be found perched high in the rooftops. Although they are small, the stills are regularly allowed to switch off, unwind and relax, while long fermentation is also needed to maintain the spirit’s balance of autumn fruits and sea breezes. This 11-year-old Special Release takes us across the Atlantic. Celebrating the soul of the Caribbean and inspired by the merging of rhythms of calypso, this expression is finished in Caribbean Pot Still rum casks - at 58% ABV, you can find some of that rum-like ester on your palette - think pick n’ mix banana. With a touch of water, it opens up into these stunning tropical notes of mango and sugar cane whilst keeping the suggestion of smoke on the finish.