The Real Cost of Scotch Whisky

Can a Whisky be too cheap?

That’s exactly what crossed my mind when I picked up a bottle of Deanston Sherry Cask Finish for just over £20. Even now, it regularly appears online for around £30-£35, which still feels surprisingly low for a modern Deanston Single Malt.

I ticks plenty of boxes that us whisky enthusiasts love. Bottled at 46.3% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour, and finished in Oloroso sherry casks after spending time in ex-bourbon barrels.

About the Deanston Sherry Cask Finish

Deanston has built a strong reputation among whisky enthusiasts over the years. It’s one of those distilleries that doesn’t always get the same attention as some of the bigger names, but consistently produces quality spirit.

The Sherry Cask Finish isn’t trying to be a massive sherry bomb. Instead, it feels more like classic Deanston with an extra layer added on top.

Nose:

Plenty of orange marmalade, milk chocolate, honey and fruitcake. There’s definitely some sherry influence there, but it doesn’t overpower the spirit underneath.

Palate:

More oranges, a bit of chocolate, brown sugar and gentle spice. It’s creamy enough, easy to drink, and perfectly enjoyable.

If I’m being critical, it does feel a little light in places. The flavours are there, but they don’t quite come together in the way I hoped they would. The finish is also fairly short.

It’s a pleasant whisky. The sort of dram you happily pour while watching a film or an episode of Taskmaster rather than sitting down to analyse every note.

The whisky itself is good but the price is what makes it interesting. When you buy a bottle of single malt for around £30, it’s easy to forget how many people need to get paid before the whisky reaches your shelf. There’s VAT, spirits duty, bottling costs, packaging, warehousing, transport, retailer margins, marketing, staff costs and, ideally, some profit left at the end. Once you start breaking that down, you realise there isn’t a huge amount left over for the actual liquid itself.

That’s why some people in the industry argue that certain whiskies might actually be priced too low.