Deanston 11 Years Old 2012 Exploration Series (Claxton’s)

An 11 year old Deanston from the bottler Claxton's, distilled in 2012, bottled at 50%. Deanston is a soft, malty Highland single malt from the old Adelphi cotton mill at Doune. The site was the Adelphi cotton mill, built in 1785 by Sir Richard Arkwright and turned to whisky in 1965.

Distilled from unpeated Scottish barley in bulbous copper stills, for the waxy, honeyed make Deanston is known for. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working slowly into the waxy malt. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the body softer and waxier. The waxy texture is the Deanston signature, carried through the years in cask. Deanston is the only distillery in Scotland to generate all its own power from the river. River Teith water and a long ferment give the fruity, estery Deanston make. It uses 100% Scottish barley and bottles its malt unchillfiltered, with no added colour.

At cask strength 50% it is full bodied. Green apple, honey and a waxy malt, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft orchard fruit and honey sit behind the cask. The close is waxy and warming, fruit over a gentle oak. This is a fruity, unchillfiltered Highland single malt.