Deanston 11 Year Old 2009/2021 - Cask 116 - Brave New Spirits

Rich, Dried Fruits
2024-02-22

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.

Deanston 11 Year Old 2009/2021 - Cask 116 - Brave New Spirits (Preview Image Source: The Whisky Exchange)

Smell

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.

Taste

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.

Thoughts

Deanston works well with many casks, including this first fill Merlot cask. Anyone looking for an alternative to mulled wine at the Christmas market is well advised to try this. Pleasantly warming with Christmassy notes, this malt is perfect for the pre-Christmas period.

Rating: 83/100 - Excellent (Marcel: 81 | Sascha: 85)

Value for Money: 4/5 - Good

Preview Image Source: The Whisky Exchange