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The story of Oban is told on the label of the 14-year old malt. This version is replacing the 12-year old which was put into a bottle that looked as though it contained perfume.
The traveller returning from the islands of Mull or Iona, or from Fingal's cave
sees Oban as a Victorian town, with the distillery growing out of the cliffs.
The distillery is said to have been founded in 1794 (longer
than most of the town) though
the present buildings probably date from the 1880s. The stillhouse was rebuilt
in the late 1960s and early 1970s and there was further work in 1991. Work in
1890 involved cutting into the cliff behind the distillery, revealing a cave
with human bones and implements, now at the Scottish Museum of Antiquity.
The Oban
malt whisky has contributed to various John Hopkins blends, including one
romantically called Old Mull.
smws/mj/o.m.
A copy of United Distillers' own illustrated pamphlet about Oban can be found here and there is further UD-orientated material in their scotch.com InfoCenter, here
See also article in SMWS Spring 95 newsletter
Stafford Street, Oban, PA34 5NH
Tel: 01631-564262
I visited this distillery in August '94 but unfortunately chose a busy day and could not afford to wait the two hours till the first available visit. (others, note!) The tour costs œ2.00 but there's a œ3.00 voucher against whisky purchases in the distillery shop. There is a small exhibition about Oban and the distillery (free). Everything was well appointed and atmospheric and the staff were very friendly, especially when it became obvious I was truly interested in malts. [jhb]
Hear "Oban" pronounced in AU or WAV format
Read an article about Oban distillery
Search Dr. Do'g's index for the history of Oban
There just might be some news about Oban in The "Scotsman" newspaper