Deanston 12 Year Old

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.3%

Region: Highland, Scotland

Age: 12 Years Old

Strength: 46.3% ABV

Colouring: Nope

Chill Filtered: Nope

Based in a former cotton mill, Deanston is the only distillery in Scotland that is self-sustaining for power with their own dam and turbine. Self-sustaining is certainly a big win and throughout the Whisky community, it seems to be a well-liked Distillery. This 12 year old expression spent it’s 12 years maturing in ex-bourbon casks.

Experience

Visually the bottle could seem a little drab but really does match the feeling of their long history and craftsmanship. Embracing the market that demands authenticity the packaging reflects the past with artwork of the mill as well as a muted colour palette. The overlaid signatures on top of the faint blue age statement which you find on the 70cl bottle really provide some uniqueness and make this bottle truly feel handmade.

To reflect this genuine ethos this dram and is bottled with natural colour and is non-chill-filtered. It would feel a little hypocritical if it had added artificial colouring in the bottle.

Nose

The aroma takes me straight to an orangery that is at a National Trust location nearby. With the mixture of fruit, greenery, sweetness and a little bit of mustiness. It is crazy how one smell can evoke a single memory. It is pleasant and inviting however is on the faint side so could easily be missed.

Taste

The taste is like a creamy carrot cake in terms of sweetness with plenty of chewy caramel. Oak cakes dipped in honey this dram gets the great mix of sweet and malt. The finish is a good length with a tiny bit of spice, adding an extra dimension to this dram.

Value for Money

While slightly underwhelming or possibly too nuanced for me, it is a really nice and friendly Scotch. This is a bottle that wildly varies in price depending on where you look but is rounded between £35 – £45. This bottle can be picked up from Deanston online store, The Whisky Exchange or even Amazon.