Oban Little Bay Aims To Be A Fascinating Non Age Statement Scotch

Scotland’s Oban distillery, owned by spirits giant Diageo, is nestled in a quaint port town of the same name on the United Kingdom’s west coast. It was founded in 1794 and has a very small number of pot stills, making it one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries. It is known mostly to American drinkers for its 14 year old single malt, as well as a handful of much more limited older bottlings. Recently joining this line up is a new non age statement offering quietly launched by Diageo that’s known as Oban Little Bay.

Oban Little Bay, bottled at 43% ABV, gets its name from the Gaelic meaning of Oban, which means Little Bay. The spirit is the result of its distilling staff taking mature, small batches of Oban’s Scotch and further aging it in small oak casks to yield “yet more smoothness and richness of flavor” as a result of more wood contact.

This whisky, according to related tasting notes, “has a deep aroma of sea salt, rich oak tannins, espresso beans and citrus. Notes of dried spices, Christmas cake, brown sugar and oak dominate the palate, and lead to an elegant finish with touches of smoke and fruit.”

As for pricing and availability, it is out in stores now across the country for a retail price of around $75. You can look to hunt down a bottle here.