1 | Spirits | Page 148

Deanston Virgin Oak, a new addition to the portfolio, has been finished in virgin oak casks sourced from a family-owned cooperage in Bardstown, Kentucky. Unlike most, these casks have not been used for any other alcohol so the Deanston malt picks up more of the oak flavour in maturation. Everything else about the process is kept close to home, with only local barley and yeast used with water from the River Teith which runs alongside the distillery.

"Deep amber color. Spicy charred oak, sweet toffee, and pepper aromas. A rich entry leads to a dryish medium-to full-bodied palate with toffee, mocha, and white pepper flavors with a pronounced copper tang. Finishes with a sweet, charred barrel, brown, and metallic fade. An aggressive and spicy bourbon that will work nicely in a bourbon peach tea cocktail."

"Nose: Pungent, sappy. Body: Big, with some dryness of texture. Palate: The flavors are so tightly interlocked at first that the whisky appears reluctant to give up its secrets. Very slow, insistent flavour development. All the components gradually emerge, but in a drier mood."