I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I hadn't tasted this fine whisky until last week. A good friend and drinking buddy used to make frequent mention of Oban and its virtues, but at the time we were never able to lay our hands on a bottle. Happily I was able to order a generous dram with dinner at the Merrick Inn. (I had the simply fantastic Walleye Pike.) Four years later I've discovered that I've been missing out on a great whisky.
My tasting notes:
Color: light amber/new penny
Nose: fruit and cereal with light peaty notes
Palate: spiced fruits, a bit of oak, and a curl of peat smoke
Finish: long with a warm spiciness
Boswell and Johnson visited a "tolerable inn" in the coastal town of Oban during their 1773 tour to the Hebrides. The small distillery would be founded 21 years later by the Stevenson brothers in 1794; making this one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. In fact the town that exists today grew up around the distillery. The still house was rebuilt in 1972, but retained the broad-necked pair of steam heated stills. Curiously, Oban also employs a rectangular double worm-tub, which is the only one I've heard of in operation. Sadly the floor maltings closed in 1968 although it is still in place and listed as a historic building.
The Speyside 12yo presented itself rather unassumingly with its basic black labeling and a price just under $30. Turns out The Speyside is a newcomer to the Scotch whisky scene, with the whisky making previous appearances in both an 8yo and 10yo expression. Yet this young upstart turned out to be a surprisingly tasty single malt that was well received when sampled by friends. Lest you doubt my judgment, the whisky earned a gold medal at last years 
