Oban (the whisky) has held a special place in my heart—and liquor shelf—ever since I spent Easter Sunday of 1979 in Oban (the town). I was just a dumb college kid at the time, whose most sophisticated Scotch drinking up till that point was Bell’s. I didn’t get the chance to visit the distillery, but sharing a bottle with my two travel mates over Easter dinner in a local pub was a revelation.
Was at a 5 star hotel in Portugal years ago with a friend visiting from the states, I Iived in Spain at the time. I was used to paying 20 euros a bottle for Oban from the local package store. So I see this bottle of Oban behind the bar and order two doubles, one for each of us.
My buddy likes it so I order another round of the same. Check comes and it is over 200 Euros! I ask the bartender in my halting Spanish why so expensive. He pulls down the bottle and it is some exclusive Oban label I’d never seen before.
Charged it to the room. Spousal unit saw the line item at checkout and I told her never mind. My buddy has been sending me scotch every Christmas since.