Deanston Decennary 50th Anniversary – 46.3% abv

Info: Deanston Decennary 50th Anniversary is a marriage of four different casks; Whisky refil from 1977, American Oak from 1982, Port Pipe from 1996 and Pedro Ximenez from 2006. 1400 bottles available exclusively at the distillery. Natural colour, un-chillfiltered.
Colour: Summer gold with a hint of autumn rust.
Nose: The nose here is really autumnal. There’s hints of sharp, cold, clean rain on malt. There’s a bowl full of simmered down autumn fruits with a spoon of thick cream dolloped on top. There’s a nuttyness that’s coming from the casks. You can tell there’s some well aged malt here, but it’s well integrated and keeps a nice natural balance of the malts.
Palate: Lovely, thick and oily; it’s easily introduced on to your tongue, with gentle wood spices building slowly. There’s some wood tannins mixed in with berries, sultanas, and lashings of malt. It’s a dram to really hold on your tongue and enjoy.
Finish: The finish is almost fresh in your mouth (eucalyptus?), but lovely and deeply warming on your chest, a great collaboration of the old and newer spirits. At the end you’re left with a really malty note on your tongue, while your chest is kept nice and warm.
Thoughts: A fabulous dram with well integrated malts from different ages and casks. One to sit and take time pondering on a cool autumn evening.
Available: Deanston’s Website – £110

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Sample for a bottle share amongst friends.