Review by: The Muskox

It’s always fun to try a 70s bottling from a distillery I don’t have much experience with, 40% ABV or not. This whisky predates the purchase of the Deanston distillery by Burn Stewart in 1990, and so was made with a different flavour profile in mind from the modern versions.

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Distillery: Deanston.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 40%.

Age: 25 years. Bottled in 1994.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Color added. Chill-filtered.

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Nose: Malty and nutty. Sesame seed bagels, malt syrup, chocolate Turtles. Dried orange peel and crabapples. Lightly woody, earthy honey.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives gently, citrusy and slightly industrial/OBE-ish. Big spicy oak on the development. Overbrewed tea, cardamom and cumin, fresh leather, and fallen leaves. Pralines.

Finish: Medium-long, lots of earth and caramel. Cumin and black pepper. More pralines. A little beeswax. Sweet tea.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Autumn stroll in the truffle orchard”

Conclusion: This is good. It drinks way beyond its 40% strength, maybe not so much in texture but certainly in robustness of flavour and in the length of the finish. It’s not winning awards for complexity, but it’s more than a one-noter. A modern comparison could be something like anCnoc 12.

Final Score: 77.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.