About Oban Whisky Distillery
Distillery Owner
Diageo
Distillery Founded
1794
Distillery Status
Active
Distillery Capacity
670 000 litres
Distillery Address
Stafford Street, Oban, Argyll PA34 5NH
Distillery Number
01631 572004
Distillery Website
www.malts.com
1793
John and Hugh Stevenson found the dis-tillery on premises previously used for brewing.
1794
Start of operations.
1820
Hugh Stevenson dies.
1821
Hugh Stevenson’s son Thomas, having recently returned from Buenos Aires, takes over.
1822
Thomas Stevenson acquires the remaining shares in Oban Brewery Company.
1829
A series of unsuccessful business investments force Thomas Stevenson into bankruptcy with debts of over £8,000. His eldest son John takes over operations at the distillery.
1830
John buys the distillery from his father’s creditors for £1,500.
1866
Peter Cumstie buys the distillery.
1883
Cumstie sells Oban to James Walter Higgins who refurbishes and modernizes it.
1898
The Oban & Aultmore-Glenlivet Co. takes over with Alexander Edwards at the helm A consortium made up of John Dewar & Sons, James Buchanan & Company and White Horse Distillers is also involved in the company.
1923
The Oban Distillery Co. owned by Buchanan-Dewar takes over.
1925
Buchanan-Dewar becomes part of Distillers Company Limited (DCL).
1930
Administration is transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD).
1931
Production ceases.
1937
In production again.
1968
Floor maltings ceases and the distillery closes for reconstruction.
1972
Reopening of the distillery.
1979
Oban 12 years is on sale.
1988
United Distillers launches Classic Malts. Oban 14 year is selected to represent Western Highlands.
1989
A visitor centre is built.
1998
A Distillers’ Edition is launched.
2002
he, so far, oldest Oban (32 years) is launched in a limited edition of 6,000 bottles.
2004
A 20 year old cask strength from 1984 (1,260 bottles) is released.
Reproduced from the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2009 with the kind permission of Mr Ingvar Ronde