Oban Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive 11 Year Old Batch 1
Floral, Nutty, Hay Like2023-12-10
The question is: Is it actually worth it? We take a closer look at the Oban Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive 11 Year Old Batch 1.
Smell
The Oban 11 year old in cask strength seduces with fresh vanilla, floral nuances and sweet honey. Hay-like elements and fruity notes of apple and pear harmonise with an exotic coconut note. A splash of lemon frees the nose, while a surprising olive adds depth to the bouquet. Fresh and intense.
Taste
After an inspiring nose, the single malt impresses with its creamy texture, dry intensity and nutty charm. Salty accents in the throat complement the sweet vanilla, honeydew melon and delicate caramel flavour. A hint of white pepper with walnut on the palate completes the flavour experience.
Finish
The finish of the whisky is surprisingly long and intense, carried by fine fresh oak and a pot of white tea. You don't really get that kind of length and intensity from a pure bourbon cask bottling. The warming note is skilfully accompanied by an astringent character.
Thoughts
The Oban Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive 11 Year Old Batch 1 impresses with an excellently selected bourbon cask, which produces an extremely tasty, pleasantly straightforward and honest whisky - typical Oban. In this case, we would like to refrain from a price-performance rating, as you are of course paying for the celebration, entry in the golden book, discounted distillery tour etc. and not just for the product.
Is it worth it? A matter of taste. It's certainly something you should try if you're a whisky enthusiast - definitely worth the experience. The product itself is also one of the best bourbon cask bottlings we have had the pleasure of tasting.
By the way, we are missing a little more depth here for a rating of over 90 points.