In early August I received a box of whisky samples from a very sweet friend in Germany, and amongst them was a generous sample of the Deanston 12. This is a whisky I have been curious about for a while, as many people (including Roy from Aqvavitae) seem to be quite fond of it.
This is one of those whiskies where I struggle to find any particular notes when I am nosing it. It is quite fruity, think orchard fruits, some wood influence, a whiff of citrus, then malt and vanilla. I found myself nosing it for a while, desperately trying to extract something… more?
I am not sure what I was expecting, but it is equally difficult to pinpoint what I am tasting. The caramel is obvious, and I am getting wood, orchard fruits, malt, honey, and vanilla on the palate as well.
The finish is short, and it is leaving me feeling a little disappointed. The malt note hits my tongue with an unfamiliar spiciness towards the end, before it quickly disappears with some subtle honey notes in the back of my mouth.
All in all, I think the Deanston 12 is a nice whisky, but it is not unique enough to stand out. To me, this would be an excellent entry whisky for someone new to whisky, as it is light, fruity, and easy to drink. I have several other whiskies that fall into the same category, so I don’t see much point in adding the Deanston 12 to my collection at this point, but I might however switch out one of the others for this one, for a bit of variation.
Non-chill filtered, natural color
ABV: 46.3 %
Country: Scotland
Deanston Distillery, formerly a cotton mill, was founded in 1965 and is situated on the banks of the River Teith in Deanston, Scotland. In 2012, they opened their visitor center, where you can go on tours and tastings.
Synes 12 og 15 var i samme klasse, men 18 var et par hakk bedre.
Jeg har ikke fått sjansen til å smake på verken 15 eller 18 enda, men jeg skal holde utkikk etter en mulighet og se om jeg kanskje får et noe bedre inntrykk. Takk for tips!