Deanston 12 Years Old 2011 Cask #800049 (A.D. Rattray)

A Deanston of a 12 year old chosen by the bottler A.D. Rattray, distilled in 2011, from cask 800049, bottled at 59.9%, one of 208 bottles. Deanston is a Highland single malt, the old cotton mill at Doune turned distillery in 1966. Deanston is the only distillery in Scotland to generate all its own power from the river.

The spirit was distilled slowly for a clean, fruity spirit, for a soft, waxy make of green apple and honey. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the fruity spirit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the body softer and waxier. Years in oak round the spirit, the green apple and honey deepening over the wax. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the soft Highland spirit. Long ageing turns the fresh fruit towards honey, dried fruit and a soft spice. The distillery sits on the River Teith near Doune, between Stirling and the Highlands.

At cask strength 59.9% it is full bodied. Green apple, honey and a waxy malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run green apple, pear and a soft honey. Apple, honey and a soft oak spice see out a long finish. This is the cotton mill malt of the River Teith.