Deanston Unveils Virgin Oak Cask Strength 60th Anniversary
Before it made single malt, the building that houses Deanston was a cotton mill for roughly 180 years. Now the Highland distillery is celebrating 60 years of whisky making with a second limited-edition Deanston Virgin Oak, bottled at cask strength. It is listed at The Whisky Exchange, and it should interest anyone who likes oak-forward Highland malt.
Did You Know?
Deanston became a distillery in 1966, after a long life as a cotton mill that dates back to 1785.
It is said to be the only distillery in Scotland that makes all its own electricity, using an on-site hydro facility.
Cask strength means the whisky is bottled without being watered down, so it keeps the full punch it had in the cask.
The Release
The Deanston Virgin Oak Cask Strength 60th Anniversary is a Highland single malt Scotch and an official distillery bottling. It is the second limited-edition Virgin Oak from the distillery, and it was made to mark the 60th anniversary.
The whisky is matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in virgin oak for up to 12 months.
Ex-bourbon casks are barrels that previously held bourbon. They tend to add gentle vanilla and sweetness. Virgin oak means brand new wood that has never held any other liquid, so it gives up more of its own flavor, usually spice and sweetness. Finishing means the whisky spends a last stretch in a different cask after its main maturation.
According to the distillery, the result balances soft, waxy whisky with oak spice, vanilla fudge, toffee and baked apples.
The Story of Deanston
Deanston sits on the River Teith, about eight miles from Stirling, at the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. The site began life in 1785 as a cotton mill designed by Sir Richard Arkwright. It stayed a mill for around 180 years, until it was converted into a distillery in 1966. That makes this release a 60th anniversary bottling.
The river that once supplied the mill still matters, because the same steady supply of clean water helped drive the decision to start distilling.
Deanston is also known for its self-sufficiency. It generates its own power through on-site hydro, which is unusual in Scotch. The distillery sits in the Highland region, and its core whisky is un-chill filtered (not cooled and filtered to remove haze, which can leave more texture) and bottled in natural color. The distillery is part of CVH Spirits, alongside Bunnahabhain on Islay and Tobermory on Mull.
The Details
Style: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Distillery Bottling
Cask/Finish: Matured in ex-bourbon, finished in virgin oak for up to 12 months
Strength: Cask strength (exact ABV not stated in the source)
Release Size: Limited edition (number of bottles not stated)
Availability: The Whisky Exchange
Price (SRP): Not stated in the source
Tonights Poison Take
A cask strength Deanston is an easy one to like. The distillery's soft, waxy house style should carry the extra oak well, and the notes of fudge, toffee and baked apple point to a cozy, dessert-leaning dram. Collectors should watch for the exact ABV and price. A 60th anniversary label on a limited release has a way of selling through faster than expected.
Bar Talk: Deanston made cotton for about 180 years before it made whisky, and it still runs on its own river-powered electricity.
Send this to the Highland malt fan who loves a bit of oak spice with their vanilla fudge.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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