Oban Whisky Distillery – An Unexpected Visit
An unexpected visit to the Oban Whisky Distillery:
Oban Distillery,
Oban,
Argyll,
PA34 5NH
telephone…01631 572004
website – via – www.classicmalts.com
Owners – Diageo
Jim and Jacqueline were siting in the dining room having breakfast on Sunday August 29th 2010, and as it was a beautiful day we decided we would go for a drive, but to where was the question.
We checked the weather and the west coast was going to be the fairest that day, so we got out the road map and had a wee look for a suitable destination. We plumbed for Oban as it was more than ten years since we last were there.
The drive was great beautiful weather and fantastic countryside, good music on the stereo and great chat with Jacqueline, it was going to be a good day. We arrived in Oban just about lunchtime, so we wandered up the High Street doing a little window shopping, but also searching for a suitable place for lunch.
We walked down to the harbour area and decided to go Italian, and Piazza restaurant was our choice, we had a great meal and found most of the food very authentic and we would recommend any of our readers intending to visit Oban to make this their lunch or evening meal stop.
After lunch we left the restaurant and headed for the High Street, and right in front of Jim and Jacqueline was Oban Distillery.
On our last trip to Oban we visited this Distillery and did the tour, our guide on that day was Evelyn, who has since retired and lives in a great wee cottage in Bowmore, Islay and we have met her a couple of times on our regular trips to that magical island.
So Jacqueline suggested we pop in and say hallo on behalf of the Whisky Boys.
We were met by Frances who not only knew Evelyn but was a good friend of hers. So the chat soon got going on all things Whisky, Oban Distillery, Classic Malts range, Islay we had a good long chat, and Frances is a great Ambassador for her Distillery.
As Jim’s birthday was looming Jacqueline told Jim to select a couple of bottles as part of his birthday, the day was getting better and better for Jim.
Jim already had a bottle of Oban 14 Year Old, he got chatting to Frances who guided Jim through some of the bottlings that were held at Oban, Jim decided on getting Dalwhinnie 1991 Distillers Edition and a Caol Ila 1996 Distillers Edition, this was helped by Frances allowing Jim to have a wee taste of the wonderful Caol Ila.
Now a little bit about the Distillery.
Oban Distillery sits right in the middle of the City of Oban beneath cliffs that overlook the city and only a stones throw from the sea.
This distillery is the second smallest in the Diageo group, the smallest being Lochnagar.
Single Malt Whisky has been Distilled in Oban for over 200 years and is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland.
This Distillery has a great shop and even a wonderful tasting room which also displays many of the Classic Malts, the Whisky Boys would recommend that you take a tour and if you are in luck you may get Frances as your guide.
To finish it was good to re-visit Oban Distillery, and meeting Frances was a joy, her enthusiasm and knowledge for Oban and Whisky was a grand experience.
Thanks Frances, hope to meet you again, maybe on Islay or back in Oban,
