Deanston 12 Year Old Unchillfiltered

This is a bottle that I’ve been putting off reviewing for ages. I bought it a long time ago and sort of forgot about it at the back of my cabinet. Well it’s resurfaced now, having been open for a good six months or so. Deanston is one of those smaller, lesser known distilleries that doesn’t get a lot of fuss. Of course, this is usually the part where I say it deserves more attention and respect…

Nose: A pointy citrus note, ginger, grass, granny smith apples, seared honey, a bit of malt, and herbs. Most noticeably there’s the scent of cologne. Old Spice-ish.

Palate: A light mouthfeel with some prickly spices over citrus. There’s also a somewhat flat honey note, cough drops, and ginger. Again, a strong cologne note.

Finish: Cologne, grapefruit, ginger, flat honey, hints of smoke, butter, curdled milk, anise, and some grassiness. Medium in length.

It’s very blunt and masculine, from the label to the cologne flavour. Was this matured in Old Spice casks? Also, the honey here falls flat. It’s all a bit off-putting, honestly. I can see that there’s an effort to make this “craft,” but the flavours just don’t work for me. It’s unique, and perhaps there’s a rugged charm to this, but it’s just not a style that I can get behind.

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