Review #30 Deanston Virgin Oak: Scotch
Updated: Jun 19, 2020
Score: 7.7 / 10
Distillery: Deanston
Type: Young Highland Single Malt
Deanston first popped on to my radar when I attended WhiskyFest 2018 (San Francisco) and visited their booth during the happy hour. Everything they were pouring during the VIP tasting was delicious. Two years later I was revisiting some single malts from various brands and the Deanston "light bulb" turned on, so I ran out to a local store to find a bottle.
The first one I came across was the Virgin Oak so I picked it up. I didn't review it for quite a while, but casually sipped on it (hard to tell from the picture but 80% is missing) before officially writing down my thoughts. There don't seem to be too many "Young" Highland Single Malts, but I am seeing more pop up now as whiskey completely takes over the spirits world for new tastes and new younger distilleries.
Whisky Review:
Nose: white grapes, Chardonnay, rose petal, creamy vanilla, sugar
Palate: mild thickness and a creamy coating mouthfeel. Oaky woodiness blends well with vanilla and honey.
Finish: champagne finish with a decent bit of spice and a hint of cinnamon. Lightly tannic and short lived.
Score: 7.7
Scale:
S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)
A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)
B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)
C - competent (7-7.9)
D - disappointing (6-6.9)
F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)
Notes: Availability? Common. If you're a scotch virgin, I might wait on the Virgin Oak. It works exactly opposite from well.... you know.... HA! Only because It has a slightly different palette from other common scotches, but a very niche following if you're looking for something new.
