Scotch Whisky Review #122: Deanston 12 Year Un-Chill Filtered

Distillery: Deanston

Region: Highland

ABV: 46.3%

Age: 12 Year

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon

Price: $13 for a 2 oz pour

Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry. Non-Chill Filtered and Natural Color.

Fun Fact: Deanston used to chill filter their whisky but have stopped wholesale in recent years.

Nose: (according to the wife) Lots of oak and raw nuts (she originally thought peanuts but eventually settled on almonds). There’s a lot of malt barley coming through and a hint of heather.

Palate: Rich mouthfeel. Very cereal like with the malt barley coming through strongly with some caramel. There’s a little bit of fresh cut hay and some heather as well. With a little bit of water, a very sharp green apple note comes out.

Finish: Gone in a flash.

Conclusion: A few months ago, the wife and I stopped by the Deanston distillery and I was able to quickly taste the Deanston 12. I remember it being easy to drink, full of caramel, but not too complex then and I’m a little happy to find that my thoughts on it aren’t a whole lot different now. It’s a well-made whiskey for sure. The caramel notes from the ex-bourbon casks really marry well with Deanston’s base spirit resulting in a very pleasant dram. It’s even got a little bit of heather that I’ve taken to associating with Deanston whiskies. The finish is more than a little disappointing though given how quickly it goes but for their entry level whisky, Deanston have done a good job. Would I buy a bottle? Probably not, there are more interesting ones from them.

Final Score: 77.

Scotch Whisky review #122, Highland Whiskey Review #31, Whisky Network Review #162

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.