Deanston 12 Year

Not a scotch drinker, but this is smooth and flavorful. A bit harsh on the nose. Flavors of caramel and oak, with some fruitiness in the back. Overall good scotch.

Meh. It’s scotch. Not bad. Not good.

On the nose, tart jam with hints of butterscotch and faint tropical fruits. The taste mellows out the fruit and gives way to a surprising amount of heat (stemming from the higher ABV) with a finish that fades rapidly. Not particularly complex, but not unpleasant by any means.

Pretty good. No smoke. Some burn. Worth having again.

I found this mini while organising my whiskey cabinet and had forgotten I bought it a few months back. Upon initial perusal of the distiller review, I’m not quite sure why this one got such a low rating. Sure, it’s not going to change anybody’s world view or be the most magnificent scotch ever consumed, but it’s a solid dram. The kind that if I were at someone’s house and they offered it to me I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. The nose is a bit harsh, yes, with all those ethanol bits jumping out at you initially. Muscling past that gives you some warm barley notes reminiscent of a freshly mown lawn. The taste makes up for the nose. Lots of creamy barley notes that coat your mouth and last a while. This whisky is a frequent flyer in a lot of Compass Box blends and it can tell that by sampling the single malt in isolation. Finish is surprisingly long. Is it amazing? No, but hardly worth a 79. A solid pour on any day, and an integral part of some of my favorite blends. Cheers!

Nose: Light malt syrup Talcum powder Soft and clean Fresh linen or lanolin Vanilla bright and metallic Arrival Gentle but it grows to the development Pretty herbal sweet Hot sugar syrup Citric acid Red corral lettuce bitter Vanilla bean Development white tea Bush lollies (sweet aphid sugar left on eucalyptus leaves) Stevia Fresh Basil and anise Finish Lovely finish, clean and refreshing Strong clingy parsley root Sweet herbs like mint and stevia I really enjoy this one. There’s nothing unpleasant or abrasive. The only downside is that I want more out of that arrival (water isn’t revealing more). Perhaps a higher proof would help but the proof is already 46.3%... I want 50+ haha I would pay extra.

Young whiskey