A stop at Deanston has now become a staple of our annual road trip to Speyside. Their tastings at Warehouse 4 offer great value for money for something that not many distilleries provide - namely, a chance to try true single cask whisky extracted straight from the cask in the atmospheric surroundings of the dunnage-style … Continue reading Deanston distillery visit (May 2024)
Tag: Highlands
Deanston 2002 Pinot Noir Finish (50%, OB 2019)
I always find Deanston to be a distillery with a distinctive character (current Master Blender Brendan McCarron identifies it as waxiness, I normally find a lot of ginger biscuits and honey in most Deanstons) that nevertheless remains a 'chameleon malt' of sorts, able to take all sorts of different maturations and finishes. This one has … Continue reading Deanston 2002 Pinot Noir Finish (50%, OB 2019)
Deanston 13 (Distilled 2007, 65%, Signatory Cask Strength Collection 2020)
For a self-proclaimed Deanston fan, I haven't reviewed any spectacular examples on this blog so far. Time to change that. This Deanston was matured for 13 years in a first-fill sherry butt, and bottled at an eye-watering 65% ABV. I first tried it in December 2020 in a tasting by the Blind Tasting Consortium. It … Continue reading Deanston 13 (Distilled 2007, 65%, Signatory Cask Strength Collection 2020)
Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured (40%, OB 2021)
The Deanston Kentucky Cask was a recent addition to the Deanston range - I believe it came out in 2020, or mabe late 2019. Deanston already have a budget-friendly no age statement bottle in the much-loved Virgin Oak, but the Kentucky Cask is aimed at a different share of the market: issued at 40% ABV … Continue reading Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured (40%, OB 2021)
Speyside Road Trip Postlude: Aberfeldy
After the brief stop at the Arctic climes of Dalwhinnie, it was time for the planned activity of the day: a tour and tasting at Aberfeldy. I had booked the Connoisseurs' Tour, which seemed good value at £26.50 (I see it's now up to £30 - not sure if that's permanent or whether it's due … Continue reading Speyside Road Trip Postlude: Aberfeldy
Speyside Road Trip Day 2, Part 2: Knockdhu
My love affair with anCnoc has been an accelerated one: for one reason or another, I'd never tried one until I took part in an online tasting with distillery manager Gordon Bruce last month, even though I sort of knew they made my kind of whisky. There are no official tours at Knockdhu and no … Continue reading Speyside Road Trip Day 2, Part 2: Knockdhu
Speyside Road Trip: The Preamble (Glengoyne, Deanston, Tullibardine)
After two previous visits to Scotland that were part of tagging along to various friends' plans, my wife and I finally planned a Speyside trip that was exclusively whisky-related. It involved driving up from deepest mid-Hertfordshire to the town of Aberlour, with overnight stops in Moffat and Dundee along the way (the former to split … Continue reading Speyside Road Trip: The Preamble (Glengoyne, Deanston, Tullibardine)
Glencadam 25 (46%, OB 2020)
The Glencadam 25 year-old was a limited release of 1600 bottles, presented in a sturdy wooden box. It will set you back a lot more than any other official Glencadam, and is still available at The Whisky Exchange at the time of writing. Like most Glencadams, it was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, so we … Continue reading Glencadam 25 (46%, OB 2020)
Glencadam Reserva Andalucia (46%, OB 2020)
As the name suggests, the Reserva Andalucia is a rare foray into sherry cask maturation from Glencadam. There's no age statement, but like almost all Glencadams it's bottled without chill-filtration or additional colouring. I'm not 100% sure wherher it's a marriage of fully Oloroso matured and Oloroso finished malt, or whether it's all a finish … Continue reading Glencadam Reserva Andalucia (46%, OB 2020)
Glencadam 15 (46%, OB 2020)
The 15 year-old Glencadam has been around for a while now - almost a decade in fact, apart from a brief period of stock shortages that coincided with Ralfy naming it his whisky of the year. As usual for Glencadam, it's bottled at 46% and without chill-filtration or added colouring. It's matured in a combination … Continue reading Glencadam 15 (46%, OB 2020)
The Daily Dram 