Deanston 25 Years Old 1994 Cask #DL 14182 (Old Particular)

This Deanston was bottled by the Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing, a 25 year old, distilled in 1994, from cask DL 14182, bottled at 51.6%, one of 224 bottles. Deanston is a Highland malt made in a vaulted stone mill, waxy and malty in style. Its wash is fermented long, for a fruity, estery character.

It was distilled slowly for a clean, fruity spirit, building the honeyed Deanston style. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the honey. Through the evaporative decades the spirit concentrates, esters folding into dried fruit and beeswax. The cool, even temperature of the old weaving shed gives a slow, steady maturation. Unchillfiltered and at natural colour, it keeps the full waxy body in the glass. Its flagship is the 12 year old, bottled unchillfiltered at 46.3%. The spirit is condensed in shell and tube condensers for a clean, fruity make. The distillery sits on the River Teith near Doune, between Stirling and the Highlands.

At its natural 51.6% it is concentrated. A waxy, malty sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is fruity and waxy, the malty spirit shining through. The finish is long, waxy and gently spiced. This is the soft, waxy malt of Doune.