Oban Heart of the Harbor 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky Special Release 2025
Oban Heart of the Harbor 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky Special Release 2025 is a 54.7% ABV (109.4 proof), 750mL cask-strength coastal Highland single malt — aged 12 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks and bottled non-chill filtered — one of eight whiskies in Diageo's 2025 Special Releases: Horizons Unbound collection — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
Oban sits on the west coast of Scotland, on the border between the Highlands and the islands, and its whiskies have always lived between two worlds: Highland sweetness and maritime depth. Heart of the Harbor is a homecoming dram — the distillery celebrating its seaside town — maturing entirely in refill American oak for twelve years so the house character of honeyed fruit and spice carries a whisper of sea air. It arrives in the 2025 Special Releases presentation: a collectable limited-edition carton decorated with a Highland gull over Oban's harbor, curated for the series by Master Blender Dr Stuart Morrison. Like every Special Release, it is bottled at natural cask strength, one year only, and never repeated.
Tasting notes (press and trade consensus): a nose of honeyed spice, toffee, citrus peel, and sea breeze — dry yet mild with a gentle prickle; a smooth, creamy palate of tinned peaches in syrup, warming spice, and a crackle of salt; a long, warming finish of toffee, citrus, and lingering coastal character.
Why buy: Cask-strength, age-stated Oban is a collector's sweet spot — the core range rarely goes this far — and the Special Releases series is the year's most chased set among Scotch drinkers. At 54.7% it carries real weight while staying balanced enough to drink. Explore more Oban and browse more Scotch whisky, or compare other bourbon-cask matured spirits at Del Mesa Liquor.
FAQ — people also ask:
Q: What is the ABV of Oban Heart of the Harbor 12?
A: 54.7% ABV (109.4 proof) for the US 750mL bottle — bottled at natural cask strength. Note some UK press lists 55.3% for the market there; the bottle label is the final word.
Q: Which Diageo Special Releases collection is Heart of the Harbor part of?
A: The 2025 collection, titled Horizons Unbound — eight single malts curated by Master Blender Dr Stuart Morrison, including expressions from Talisker, Lagavulin, Clynelish, Dailuaine, Roseisle, Teaninich, and The Singleton of Glen Ord.
Q: What casks were used for Oban Heart of the Harbor?
A: Ex-bourbon American oak casks, for a full 12 years — no sherry or wine finishes, just classic bourbon-wood maturation at cask strength.
Q: How should I drink cask-strength Oban?
A: Neat first, then try a drop of water — the official notes and reviewers agree it enhances the salty notes, spice, and maritime character.