August 14, 2015

Breakfasty Deanston fair and square

I don’t quite know what to say about Deanston. Maybe that I’m happy to try some Deanstons?

Deanston 18 yo (46.3%, OB, +/-2015)

Deanston 18 yo 'Cognac Casks' (46.3%, OB, +/-2015)

This baby was finished in cognac casks for six years, so more double maturation than quick aromat… I mean, finishing. It’s advertised as being ‘simple, handcrafted, natural’. Ah. Now if it was genuine cognac wood, it was genuine European oak, which isn’t that common… Colour: gold. Nose: I like these whiffs of wet fabric, raw wool, carbon paper, then peaches, lemons, and apricots. It does have a cognacqy side indeed, and that would even be cognac de propriétaire (grower’s). There’s also a little dairy cream and baker’s yeast, which is ‘Deanston’ in my book. Mouth: hey, this is to my liking! Spicy oak and teas, more lemon, tangerines, bitter oranges, gingerbread, spicy honey, speculoos, malt, honey… I think this works, even better thanks to the oily mouth feel. The strength is perfect. Finish: long, honeyed, creamy… It’s liquid gingerbread. Marmalade, cloves and cinnamon in the aftertaste. Comments: I wouldn’t say this is a surprise. Well, there, this is a surprise. An excellent surprise… SGP:651 - 86 points.

Deanston 16 yo 1997/2014 (54.1%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #1962)

Colour: straw. Nose: very breakfasty, and that would be some full Scottish breakfast, with porridge, mushrooms, sliced oranges (is that Scottish?) and… malt whisky. That, is Scottish. Once again, there are these Deanstony whiffs of raw fabric and wool, and even a little graphite oil. Are those distillery markers? I have to work on my Deanstons. With water: wet papers and more porridge, plus plenty of barley and squeezed oranges. Mouth (neat): excellent! Zesty and freshly oaky, with grapefruit skins, tree bark, then the expected porridge and these slightly yeasty touches. Malt. With water: a touch of fabric/wool, then malt, ale, lemon, and green tea. The combo works well, its pretty ‘organic’. Finish: good length, grassy, fresh, barleyish and porridgy. Comments: an excellent cask, I’m impressed. Feels extremely natural and unfiddled-with. SGP:551 - 87 points.

That one made me feel like I should try a very young one, to further – and better - check Deanston’s distillate profile. Most luckily, I’ve got one at hand…

Deanston 7 yo 2006/2014 (49%, Spirit & Cask Range, 390 bottles)

Is this new make? Colour: white wine. Nose: yeah well, there is an eau-de-vie-ish side to this, and even some… vodka? Raw kirsch, plum spirit, sweet porridge, yoghurt, dairy cream, bread dough… You see what I mean. This is all nicely young, but I do not seem to manage to find any obvious distillery character. Must be me. Mouth: same feelings. Eaux-de-vies, lemon liqueur, sweet porridge, orange squash… All is jolly good, feisty and young, and even quite flawless, but indeed, it’s young and it hasn’t got much singularities I’m afraid. Tastes more or less like any very young unpeated malt whisky. Which is good, and bad at the same time. Finish: quite long. Pure kirsch straight from your Holstein. Almondy and slightly burnt aftertaste – I told you, kirsch straight from the still. Comments: how to score this? It’s good, but it’s too young. On the other hand, it’s good. And yet it’s pretty immature. And yet, I like this… Ooh my head! SGP:541 - 78 points.

Couldn’t we go on a bit? A fourth Deanston, how does that sound? Not sure I’ve ever tasted four Deanstons in a row…

Deanston 19 yo 1994/2014 (58%, Master of Malt, refill bourbon)

Colour: gold. Nose: it’s not a whacky Deanston, I don’t seem to find any odd concrete-y, or very porridgy notes in this, rather soft notes of ripe apples, sunflower oil, and white rhum agricole. Which pleases me enough, mind you. Some vanilla, some blond Virginia tobacco, a new pack of American cigarettes, maybe slices of fresh rhubarb (after the rain), some barley, some white chocolate. Firm and light at the same time. With water: I don’t think I’d find anything better to say than ‘very fine malty malt whisky’. Mouth (neat): everything by Kellogg’s, Ovaltine, and Van Houten. Syrups, roasted seeds, sesame oil, butterscotch, vanilla cake… It’s powerful, but it’s very approachable. And very, very barleyish. No fabric, no engine oils, no raw kirsch, so it’s a clean one. With water: yes it’s good. A feeling of... margarita? Finish: medium, creamy, barleyish, vanilla-ed, with a citrusy aftertaste. Comments: maybe not malt whisky that we’ll remember forever, but quality’s there. Very ‘natural’. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Good, I think we might have managed to boost the image of Deanston in WF’s little (not so little) book. But four is enough!

Check the index of all Deanston I've tasted so far