Oban's Retiring Distillery Manager Releases 'Little Curiosities' Whisky With A Treasure Map & Real Scavenger Hunt With Prizes

If you find yourself in Oban, Scotland this summer with a spare afternoon and a taste for a puzzle, the town's famous distillery has given you something quite fun to do. Its newest distillery exclusive, called Oban Little Curiosities Single Malt, arrives with a bottle that doubles as a treasure map. The label is covered in small illustrated icons, each one tied to a piece of the seaside town's history, its people or its stories, and the distillery is turning those pictures into a real hunt around Oban and the distillery itself.

Ten of the icons printed on the bottle correspond to real landmarks one can find. There is McCaig's Tower, the iconic hilltop landmark that looms over the town. There are several nods to the distillery's maritime past, which suits a place that has always looked out to the water. And sitting in the middle of it all is the distillery's 1794 sign, the year Oban was established.

Anyone who fancies the challenge can pick up a map from the distillery and set off after the items shown on the bottle. The hunt runs from July right through to October. Find and tick off everything on the list and you walk away with a complimentary gift, a Oban memento. If you would rather take the bottle home first and study it at your leisure, you can also buy it alongside a limited-edition whisky glass made to mark the launch.

This release is timed to coincide with The Clipper Round The World Yacht Race in Oban that runs till 19 July, and the scavenger hunt is now open to coincide with the crews and crowds passing through. 

There is a remarkable person behind the bottle too. Recently retired Distillery Manager Ronnie Whiteford has signed it, a send-off for someone who spent years at Oban. Emma Watson, Brand Home Manager at Oban Distillery, put the release in the context of the town: "The distillery's history is deeply connected to the town. We were established in 1794 so are a core part of the local history. Our latest distillery exclusive Little Curiosities is a great way to remember and share the tales and features which make our hometown so unique." Recently retired Distillery Manager Ronnie Whiteford has also signed the bottle as a nice nod to his time at Oban.

"We're looking forward to welcoming people from Oban, tourists, and those here for the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race into the distillery as they set off to explore this small and fascinating part of the world."

For anyone who wants to lean fully into the maritime theme, there is a day out built around it. The Oban X Clipper Round the World: Wind, Waves and Whisky Experience puts guests on the water with crew members and distillery staff for a hands-on sail across the Oban waters, before heading back for a guided tour and a tasting of rare whisky drawn straight from the cask. 

Then there is the whisky itself. Oban's Little Curiosities is finished in a rum cask. Official notes suggest creamy tropical notes with a coastal setting that hints of sea salt and black pepper on a long, warming finish.

Official Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Bright, pale sunlight

Nose: Creamy tropical fruits: guava and papaya with sharp citrus fruits (blood orange) backed by a wonderful wildflower honey and sweet vanilla.

Body: Medium.

Palate: Sweet citrus with hints of bitter grapefruit, floral and lightly spicy. 

Finish: Hints of sea salt and black pepper on the long, warming finish.

Little Curiosities is available now at the Oban Distillery retail shop, priced at £220 and bottled at 57.5% ABV. Tastings, tours, drams, cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails run all year round for anyone who wants to see how Oban whisky is made, and more on the experiences is at ObanDistillery.com.

The scavenger hunt promotion is open to over-18s only and runs from July 2026 until 1 November 2026, subject to availability, with the usual terms and conditions. 

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team