Does anyone else keep like a top 5 all time whiskies you have tried and/or bought that just stay in the memory and which you judge all others against? Maybe I am just overly intense, who can say?

Deanston 18 Year Old is on my list and Deanston generally has been a great source of good whisky for a while. Limited Editions are getting towards the silly end of the prices but core range is and always was great value.

The Distillery

Deanston distillery is converted cotton mill which was opened in 1965. I have visited the distillery and enjoyed a nice tour and of course left with a bottle. I wrote about it at the time and you can check it out at: Deanston Distillery Visit

The Whisky

The 2002 vintage is a 17 year old whisky which has been finished in Pinot Noir casks. A wine I like and generally I am in the rare subset who likes a wine cask finish. I think, perhaps, revived Bruichladdich overdid the wine re-rack thing and put the entire whisky drinking community off it for a lifetime but I came into the scene late so I’m not put off for life just yet.

Bottled at 50% ABV there isn’t much left available and it’s all around £100 or so. My bottle was a steal at around £60 at auction with fees. I have been reading recently that auction prices are cooling and while I haven’t been able to trust himself to check this out for myself I hope it’s true.

Tasting Notes

Colour – Shining lemony gold

Nose – Light and crisp orchard fruits, then creamy vanilla and oak giving way to subtle green grape

Palate – Dry, acidic and slightly malty with a rich tannin hit

Finish – Long acidity leading to mild malty creaminess

Official notes on bottle

Colour – washed out lemon

Nose – immediately fruit forward with soft grapes against an undercurrent of honey. Enough sugar to cause you problems basically

Palate – Caramel and digestive biscuits with drying wood sugar notes sucking the moistures out of your cheeks

Finish – long finish with those grape notes from the nose coming back.

Conclusion

A good whisky I would have paid full retail for. Paying nearly half that though makes it all the sweeter although still not as sweet as the notes on the whisky.