Oban Distillery
Encyclopedia
Oban Distillery is a whisky
distillery
in the Scottish
west coast port of Oban
. It is one of the few distilleries to have been built, in 1794, before the actual town which sprung up later in the surrounding craggy harbor. The distillery has only two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a 'West Highland' flavor that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands. The Oban distillery is currently owned by Diageo
.
Distillery, bought out Higgin. In its first year of operation, it suffered major losses when a major blending company, Pattison's of Leith
, went under. In 1923, Oban was sold to Dewars and joined Distillers Company with that company in 1925. It fell silent from 1931 until 1937 and again from 1969 to 1972 when a new still house was built. In 1989 a new visitors' centre was installed.
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
west coast port of Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. It is one of the few distilleries to have been built, in 1794, before the actual town which sprung up later in the surrounding craggy harbor. The distillery has only two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a 'West Highland' flavor that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands. The Oban distillery is currently owned by Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
.
History
The distillery was built in 1794 by the brothers John and Hugh Stevenson and operated by them until 1866, when it was bought by Peter Curnstie. It was then acquired by Walter Higgin in 1883 and rebuilt. In 1898, Alexander Edward, who also owned AultmoreAultmore
Aultmore is a village in Moray, Scotland, near Keith....
Distillery, bought out Higgin. In its first year of operation, it suffered major losses when a major blending company, Pattison's of Leith
Pattison's whisky
Pattison's Whiskywas a blended Scotch whisky produced by Pattison's Ltd. from 1896 until its bankruptcy in 1898. It is known for its role in the booming scotch whisky market of the late 19th century, and its instrumental role in the market's subsequent collapse.-History:Pattison's Ltd. started out...
, went under. In 1923, Oban was sold to Dewars and joined Distillers Company with that company in 1925. It fell silent from 1931 until 1937 and again from 1969 to 1972 when a new still house was built. In 1989 a new visitors' centre was installed.
Bottlings
The Oban Distillery is primarily known for its 14-year-old expression, which is marketed as part of Diageo's 'Classic Malts Selection' range, launched in 1988. Also available is a 'Distiller's Edition' bottling, which is finished in a Montilla Fino sherry cask before bottling. There is also a rare 18-year-old limited edition as well as an even rarer 32-year-old edition.See also
- Classic Malts of ScotlandClassic Malts of ScotlandThe Classic Malts of Scotland is a selection of six single malt whiskies, launched and marketed together in 1988 by United Distillers and Vintners which is now owned by Diageo. They are often displayed together in bars and liquor stores, and the marketing has proved quite successful...
- Scotch whiskyScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
- List of whisky brands
- List of distilleries in Scotland
- malts.com: Oban single malt