Review by: dustbunna

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Distillery: Oban.

Bottler: Distillery bottling.

Region: Highlands, Scotland.

ABV: 55.3%. Cask strength.

Age: 15 years. Bottled in 2025.

Cask type: Ex-bourbon finished in ex-Oloroso and ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks.

Price: $50 USD for 250mL (bottle split, full bottle price $150 USD for 750mL.)

Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Bottle open across approx. 3 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.

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Nose: orange zest, pink grapefruit, roasted nuts, rock pools, a touch of fireworks sulfur, orange furniture polish.

Palate: bold, full-bodied ~ lots more oranges and grapefruits (juices and marmalades together), chalk, a bit more spent fireworks.

Finish: long ~ honey, a wisp of smoke, grapefruit zest, more chalk, orange pith, wet wool.

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Thoughts: Oban released this 15 year cask strength earlier in 2025 as an exclusive to the US market (where the vast majority of their whisky appears to be marketed and exported.) I don’t know how much of the batch was finished in Oloroso vs. Palo Cortado before being vatted together, but I’ll say that this is the most obvious Palo Cortado influence I’ve ever tasted in whisky. The clarity of the wine’s own flavor is really present and forward with tons of grapefruit, honey, and roasted nuts.

I’ll call myself a hypocrite at this point: I’ve struggled before with some first-fill Oloroso and PX casks that obliterate distillery character, and that almost happens here (the citric and mineralic notes of Oban’s distillate still come through), but because I like the influence of Palo Cortado and the flavors it imparts are so different from the usual sherry bomb character, I find myself really enjoying this. Sulfur begins to creep in with a bit of time, but it can be kept in check with water. A beautiful whisky—the $150 price tag smarts for me, but I was satisfied paying a third of that to split off a third of a bottle.

Final Score: 87.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.