Deanston 11 Years (2009/2021) - Cask 116 - Brave New Spirits
As part of The Rebels The Guerilla Casks series, a Deanston was bottled from a first fill Merlot cask. With this series, the independent bottler Brave New Spritis has set itself the task of offering whiskies from unusual casks, such as wine barriques from Asia, tequila casks from Mexico or casks for sweet wines from islands such as Madeira or Sicily.
The panel
Mean 83.0 · spread 4
Value for money 4/5
- Distillery
- Deanston
- Bottler
- Brave New Spirits
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Highlands
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 11 years
- Strength
- 54.8% ABV
- Character
- rich
Tasting
Nose
The Deanston offers some really exciting flavours in the nosing. The variety of flavours reminds us of nut corners with icing, sour cherry jam and fresh red grapes. There is also a slight vinegar note, which is not unpleasant, but rather provides a little freshness.
Palate
We also encounter nut corners again in the flavour. The entire range of fairground sweets can also be found. Everything from roasted almonds and candied strawberries to mulled wine sweets can be enjoyed. Some candy floss rounds off the oily appearance of the single malt.
Finish
Spicy, intense and warming, the cask strength Deanston has a medium finish with a slight chilli tingle in the back of the throat.
Verdicts
Marcel
If you're looking for a malt in the cold season that scores with sweet fairground notes and a warming spice, you've found a real winner here. The Deanston First Fill Merlot is simply fun and brings a bit of Christmas market atmosphere to the glass – perfect for cozy evenings of indulgence.
Sascha
This Deanston shows a remarkable balance between fruity Merlot notes and precisely dosed spice that clearly conveys the cask profile. The structured aromatics with their medium-length, warm finish make it a convincing example of successful maturation in First Fill Merlot casks.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Deanston as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £72 across 48 lots · 2024-08