Deanston 5 Years Old 2020 The Single Malts of Scotland Small Batch (Elixir)

A Deanston of a 5 year old chosen by the London bottler Elixir Distillers, distilled in 2020, bottled at 48%. Deanston is a Highland single malt, the old cotton mill at Doune turned distillery in 1966. It uses 100% Scottish barley and bottles its malt unchillfiltered, with no added colour.

Made on River Teith water and condensed in shell and tube condensers, the long ferment building a fruity, estery character. Finished in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood building over the green, waxy fruit. In these extractive early years the oak gives vanillin as vanilla and oak lactones as coconut over bright green apple and honey. The waxy texture is the Deanston signature, carried through the years in cask. Refill oak lets the waxy, honeyed Deanston character lead the way. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit.

At cask strength 48% it is full bodied. Green apple, honey and a waxy malt, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. It is fruity and waxy, the malty spirit shining through. The close is waxy and warming, fruit over a gentle oak. This is a waxy, honeyed Highland single malt.