Deanston 12 Years Old 2008 Cask #173 (The Caskhound)

This Deanston was bottled by the bottler The Caskhound, a 12 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 173, bottled at 56.6%, one of 98 bottles. Deanston is a waxy, honeyed Highland malt made in a former mill on the banks of the Teith. It was mothballed in 1982 and revived in 1990 under Burn Stewart.

It was distilled from unpeated Scottish barley in bulbous copper stills, 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. The cool, even temperature of the old weaving shed gives a slow, steady maturation. The distillery sits on the River Teith near Doune, between Stirling and the Highlands. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the soft Highland spirit. Its flagship is the 12 year old, bottled unchillfiltered at 46.3%.

At 56.6%, undiluted, it is deep and honeyed. Baked apple, honey and a creamy malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A dried fruit and a soft oak give it depth. The finish is long, waxy and gently spiced. This is a fruity, unchillfiltered Highland single malt.