Deanston Virgin Oak Review
In-Depth Review
Deanston is a distillery that finds itself in the middle of a renaissance. Located in the city of Stirling (of William Wallace fame), Deanston lies on the banks of the River Teith, and utilizes this water source to produce some of the most intriguing whiskies to come out of Scotland. After being mothballed in 1982, Deanston reopened in 1991 to breathe new life for the former mill. Deanston’s core range now includes 12 and 18 year whiskies in addition to non-age stated expressions like this Virgin Oak, their Organic series, and others. Deanston is operated by a small team of employees and only recently opened up a new visitor center in 2012.
Today, we will be diving into the Deanston Virgin Oak, a whisky that has made waves in the industry by winning awards and highlighting the effect finishing in virgin american oak casks can have on scotch whisky. When creating Deanston Virgin Oak, the distillery team takes whisky aged in various types of casks and finishes it in American white oak for an additional 9-12 months. The goal is to impart some of the classic flavors that American whisky is known for like vanilla, toffee, and caramel. And like many other Deanston expressions, Virgin Oak is bottled at 46.3% ABV and is non-chill filtered. The price for this whisky has gone up in recent years, but I was lucky enough to purchase this at a steep discount of $20 a few years back. So, let’s dive in and see how a traditional scotch whisky distillate can be affected by American virgin oak.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 46.3%
Cask: Finished in Virgin Oak
MSRP: $40
Distillery Name: Deanston
Review Date: 12/5/23
Color: 14K Gold
Nose: The nose starts off with strawberries, wood pulp, old cellar dust, tart citrus, and can feel at times like the inside of an old school notebook. And while that may sound odd, but it’s actually quite lovely right after the pour. After a few minutes, the nose settles into more vanilla, honey, and green pepper.
Palate: First impression is one of surprise – this is much thicker and more rounded than I expected. It’s full of honey, vanillas, ginger snaps, candied fruits, and retains a fresh malty character to it. There is a nutty, waxy element here – almost like a fresh walnut rather than peanut. Toffee and barrel char also make an appearance, making it very clear that the wood has had a major impact here. The 46.3% ABV proof leads to a waxy mouthfeel that clings to the mouth as it moves to the finish.
Finish: Medium length finish with clove, crystalized ginger, citrus zest, pepper, and a slight effervescence that lifts the finish well. A puff of subtle smoke (more from barrel char than peat) rounds out the finish.
Final Thoughts: As I sit here drinking this Deanston Virgin Oak, I find myself struggling to find any complaints. This is a good whisky – and it definitely outshines the Glenfiddich and Glenlivet 12’s of the world. But is it great? I struggle to bestow the title of “great whisky” here. Perhaps it’s due to its relatively one-dimensional flavors, or its overwhelming honey and vanilla character, but I have struggled to revisit this bottle since my first pour. It’s easily drinkable, with an excellent proof, a unique finishing profile, and an attractive price. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I just may not rush out to get a backup bottle.
