Deanston Batch 7 (TBWC)

A Deanston of a 20 year old chosen by the bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company, bottled at 49.1%, one of 450 bottles. Deanston is a bright, fruity Highland single malt distilled in a Victorian mill at Doune. The distillery sits on the River Teith near Doune, between Stirling and the Highlands.

It was run through the bulbous stills with their upward sloping lyne arms, for a soft, waxy make of green apple and honey. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the honey. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins add a gentle, drying grip to the honey. The waxy texture is the Deanston signature, carried through the years in cask. The spirit is condensed in shell and tube condensers for a clean, fruity make. Refill oak lets the waxy, honeyed Deanston character lead the way. Unchillfiltered and at natural colour, it keeps the full waxy body in the glass.

At its natural 49.1% it is concentrated. Honey, malt and a gentle clove, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is soft and waxy, the fruit lifted by vanilla. A long, honeyed finish carries a green apple and a ginger spice. This is Deanston's waxy, fruity Highland style.