Deanston 18yo
Old & New Branding Comparison | 46.3% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
Dank & musty with a subtle sweetness
Does a change in labelling result in a change in liquid?
When I look back at when I started to get seriously interested in single malt whisky, or whisky in general, I can’t help but think a lot has changed over those years.
Around the end of 2016, I picked up a bottle of Glenfiddich Select Casks when passing through Barcelona airport, and at the time this non-age stated whisky wasn’t all that bad. Up until that point, I’d enjoyed the occasional Jameson & ginger or Jim Beam & Coke if out with friends. The last time I had scotch was around 10 years previous to that, where as young uns, we’d sneak shots of my friend's dad’s bottle of Famous Grouse only to recoil in disgust immediately after.
The months before that walk through travel retail, I’d been working in Starbucks during my masters year at university and it was there I was effectively trained or shown how to taste coffee. Preparation and patience was essential before any tasting, and it was incredible to sip coffee from regions such as Kenya, Columbia and Ethiopia to experience such subtle nuances. Individuals may frown at the very notion of coffee from Starbucks, but our small university-based branch had some passionate and keen coffee lovers who wanted to pass this on to newbies like myself.
It was from that point where I really began to step back and ‘taste’ liquids such as coffee, wine and beer. I’d only heard of the likes of Laphroaig being super smokey and the regional variance in scotch whisky, which is maybe what piqued my interest in the delicious spirit.
Six years on from that time, theres’s been a dramatic change in my spending habits, flavour preferences and the sheer amount of whisky I've sampled since. I'm still just a pup when it comes to getting to know whisky and my geekdom will inevitably reach new heights - especially when writing for Dramface and meeting such incredible fellow enthusiasts.
Previously, information regarding a specific bottle or whisky region mostly came in the form of YouTube videos and review blogs. This is where I first came across Deanston - one of many brands that grabbed my attention due to the enticing flavour profile, presentation and value for money.
A Belfast-based speciality drinks shop stocked the Deanston Virgin Oak for a good price and I enjoyed it alongside the Tomatin Legacy (after it was a standout dram on a YouTube blind challenge video). Amazon then became the platform of choice for the majority of my whisky purchases in those eye-opening years, as the Bezos’ marketplace had a plethora of entry level malts that were, on occasion, going for a great price. One of those was a Glengoyne 21yo for £90 - a special treat when purchased but not opened for years thereafter. Then the Deanston 12yo arrived and is probably one of the bottles I've regularly replaced in my collection each time there’s a bottle kill.
Fast forward to the ‘year of indoors’ and the one government-sanctioned walk per day, and I wanted to get a nice, tasty bottle of whisky to help with the monotony of full-time working from home to treat myself. Wanting to support local businesses, I bought a Bunnahabhain 12yo and a Deanston 18yo from Fairley's Wines in Coleraine, who tossed in some free home delivery. To my (pleasant) surprise when the Deanston arrived it was the older label that I'd seen online. I first came to know the older style labelling through the daily Whisky Vault YouTube channel videos, as the previous labelling was always prominent in their videos
I opened it, tasted it and enjoyed it before I moved on to other purchases. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful stuff, but the bottle chasing and whisky bug had bitten hard. Then last year, I heard fabulous things about the Deanston 18yo, including it winning the Whisky Exchange’s whisky of the year. I didn’t get that vibe from the bottle I owned so I decided to get a newer batch with the more up to date label to see what the fuss was all about.
Purchasing the newer 18 year old got me thinking about other Scottish whisky distilleries and their label changes since I started drinking whisky. Not subtle differences in labels such as Glenfiddich, but significant rebranding from the likes of Benromach, Arran, Glenallachie and Glenturret.
Despite the Soviet colourings of Benromach’s latest packaging, the whisky itself doesn’t seem to have changed - just bump that stuff up to 46% G&M, then we’ll all be raving about it. Arran and Glenturret seem to have altered their liquid for the better, with feedback and positive comments all round to the quality of the liquid that’s resulted in a change to both the bottle and the contents inside. I don’t think I could say the same for Old Pulteney though. Having tried different batches of their 12 year old (which to be frank, wasn’t great), and referring to others who adored the discontinued 17 year old but didn’t click with the new 18 year old, it made me wonder what’s changed at Deanston.
Again, referring to enthusiasts who’ve tried Deanston over the years, it sounds as if it’s only in the last five to 10 years that it’s become a malt worth paying attention to. I re-watched an old Aqvavitae V-pub with Distell master blender Julieann Fernandez. With Distell taking over from Burns Stewart in 2013, Julieann commented that a lot of care, attention and investment has taken place in Deanston and across there other distilleries. The combination of distillery managers, inventory management and cask investment seems to have made a huge difference in the liquid, as well as their pivot to a non-chill filtered presentation.
On to the review of these two Deanston 18 year olds, with very different labels on each bottle.
Review 1/2
Deanston 18yo, 2014 Bottling, 46.3% ABV
£60 (£75-80 today)
Un-chill filtered and bourbon cask finished, and as stated on the label: “Nothing added but hard work and determination.” With a simpler label, there’s nothing there explicitly stating it’s natural colour. This is apparently a limited release, and ‘Batch 2’.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Spicy and enjoyable.
Nose
Dried wood and sawdust. Soft hint of black peppercorns. Wet hessian bag with a clump of raisins. Citrus, orchard fruits and ripe apricots. It’s lovely and malty and that marries well with clove rock confectionery and vanilla extract. It turns a little yeasty and doughy which is a nice surprise. More citrus in the form of orange zest and reminiscent of rice pudding. It turns a little dense and even more musky on further nosing. Maybe some sourness in there too with a bit more of a stone fruit sweetness developing.
Palate
Initially rounded, soft and mellow. Quiet on arrival of the palate, and has a light mouth feel with a hint of pepper prickle on the tongue. Bags of honey and cinnamon spice. Some honeydew melon sweetness on the back end with some chocolate orange flavours developing, albeit slowly as the taste lingers. A layer of Madeira sponge cake, icing sugar and brandy ball hard confectionery. Medium finish. There’s a spice that lingers in the mouth with oak and vanilla. This one takes a bit of time to open up. Final sip with a dribble of water and it reminds me of green Jolly Rancher sweets. Quite enjoyable.
Score: 6/10
Review 2/2
Deanston 18yo, 2022 Bottling, 46.3% ABV
£75 paid
The label has more detail as well as Deanston worker’s signatures. Aged in first-fill bourbon casks, with no reference to that on the older label.
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
A fresher dram with bags of flavour that really hits the sweet spot.
Nose
Fresh, clean and crisp. Ripe bananas and oat biscuits. A bit musky, but a fraction compared to the previous batch. Hints of red grape, raisins and malty bread with warm butter. Butterscotch sauce, toffee and honey with chopped walnuts. Sultanas and nutmeg. The back end reminds me of cola bottle gummy confectionery.
Palate
This one is more spirit driven with a velvety mouthfeel. Vanilla custard and subtle honey. Apricots and peaches announce themselves and the citrus is much fresher this time with a lot more lemon. Spice, malts and lots of oats. That freshness becomes floral and light. Some leather and a hint of tobacco. More porridge oats with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon. Warm apple pie and whipped cream. A medium finish on this one with a pepper spike and lingering lemon citrus end. A hint of water teases out tinned pear slices and brown sugar too with a silky vanilla end.
Score: 7/10
The Dregs
At the time I purchased bottle one, it was initially pleasant but took a lot of patience to tease out the flavours and enjoy it. I was maybe expecting something a bit bolder and with more depth and complexity having not tried many 18 year olds. However, what I got was a delicate and delicious dram that demanded a bit more attention.
When tasting the newer up-to-date bottle alongside, there was an immediate difference. The main Deanston spirit and flavours I’d taste in the 12 year old were there, alongside some delicious fresh vanilla and honey notes. I love a malty and oat-forward whisky, and this 18 year old had the levels I was seeking from the first bottle. It seems the change on the front had been followed by an improved change in the bottle too. The delicate nature is there, but there’s just an extra oomph. I agree with the awards and positive comments it’s received.
I hope some of you have held on to older variations of core range bottlings so you can compare to them to what’s released today. Obviously the contents in the bottle and our own tastes can change. But it gives us a good sense of the direction of change that’s undergone in a certain distillery and if it’s one we should continue to pay attention to.
Tried these? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
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