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Deanston is one of those distilleries that grabbed itself by the boot straps at the exactly right moment, and did almost everything right. And to top it off they don't make too much fuzz of it. The 12YO is good, the 15 even better, so I was really looking forward to this 18YO sample from karloff.

Golden color. Oily whisky.

Good, decent whisky from Deanston, yet not very exciting or adventurous. Fairly priced for its age though.

A great and light fruitiness. Very good to drink. But nothing more. A slight sharpness on the finish, better on the 2nd dram. 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Aroma：Pronounced；Palate：86/100; Aftertaste：Med-Long.

This is another great whisky from Deanston and again reasonably priced. This will stick in my mind for some time because when I got back home from having my dog put down I opened this and drank half of it. It helped with the grief and the sleep, plus it tasted damn good. Not a bad send off for the big lad. X

A solid standard that is a bit too lame in places to trigger a buying stimulus. For the full review, go here: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2022/03/19/18-jaehrige-standards-aus-der-zweiter-reihe/

Excellent whisky! And for an 18-year-old release for that kind of money, it’s just a gift, in today’s times! Difficulty of note breakdown: 8/10 22 23 22 22

Deanston is a distillery that I rarely drink. So it was about time again. I bought this 18 in 2022 for €81.50. In early summer 2024 it will be available for between €115 and €150. That's crazy! Deanston 18 is an honest whisky: matured in 1st fill bourbon, not colored, not chill-filtered and bottled at the 46.3% vol. typical of the former Burn Stewart Distilleries. For 18 years, the color is quite light golden. This is the 18 in the (not quite so) new design. The predecessor in the old design was darker, and it was also finished in 1st fill bourbon casks, which may have contributed to a color boost. glen-efze.de

There seem to be quite some batch differences for Deanston's product. I remember there were 18s I absolutely hate, but this one is quite decent both in terms of price and quality.

Initial notes give me an immediate thumbs up. It’s smooth, a tad powdery, and a bit of a palate pleaser. Turnip takes a bow in the tasting, wrapped up in Madagascar vanilla with a hint of marzipan. The finish has a subtle woody vibe, always tag-teaming with talc.

Sample courtesy of Gwhisky.tw

When I first opened the bottle, I got a lot of vegetal sulphur which was off putting. This gradually disappeared over 12-18 months, and left behind what is an absolutely gorgeous whisky. I'd rate the first half of the bottle around 85 but it's an easy 89 now so averaging it down to an 87.

"A well-aged, light-bodied bourbon cask whisky" The nuances unique to first-fill bourbon casks are alive and well, with strong sweetness, apples, tropical fruits, and vanilla. It's a whisky that I can drink whenever I want to drink sweet bourbon cask whisky without any off-notes that are too jarring. I was worried that it would feel thin because it's not CS, but the spice in the finish helps to organize the sweetness in the aroma and taste and finish it cleanly. If I buy a bottle, I think I can drink it whenever I want to drink sweet and light whisky.

This was tasted as part of the Master of Malt Instagram tasting. I found this more citrussy than the 2018 batch which I preferred. Still remains excellent value though.

Old Cheese, parmesan or grana padano, malt extract, vibrant, woody, cut grass, raspberries, honey oatmeal

One of my best ever whisky experiences was with the Deanston 18. I was travelling in Scotland, staying by Loch Morar, Scotland’s deepest lake. I had two bottles of whisky with me for the trip - a small bottle of Clynelish 14, and an even smaller 5cl sample from my first ever bottle of Deanston 18. I was sitting in a warm room, looking out onto the lake being battered by a deluge of rain coming in from the Atlantic. It felt like an appropriate moment to pour a dram of the Deanston. Mind blown. Something about the singular, honest character of that whisky, at that place and that time just resonated with me. It has never tasted as good since, but I’m happy to get close. The headline is: if you enjoy a classic malty highland whisky, the Deanston 18 is amazing value at below 60 GBP. Buy some, and then buy some more. Tasting notes: This one shows it’s age in the initial woodiness - if you don’t let it breathe for at least 20 minutes, you’ll have a bad time. While the 18 retains Deanston’s malty character, it is a completely different beast from the 12. The 12 is open, a bit spiky, with a variety of easily identifiable notes flying about. In the 18 everything has melded into a dense, cohesive whole. Many may prefer the 12, but the 18 going for a completely different experience worth seeking out for its own sake. A very candied nose. Caramel, gingerbread, dry earthy wood (with slight tinges of green, reminding me of bark and moss - dry forest notes). Rich, spiced honey, pretty hints of floral rosewater, honeyed oat biscuits. All of these delicious notes balance the earthy wood in a brilliant way, keeping the overall experience light and enjoyable. Some dry ginger and soft citrus (orange and lemon peels). In the mouth, the Deanston is lighter than expected from the notes, light to medium bodied. Incredibly malty in the arrival, it’s like drinking oat biscuits, so good! A surge of honeyed fruit is followed by a balanced build-up of spice. Finish, is mostly woody notes.

For under £60 on offer, it would have been rude not to buy a bottle ;-) Classic, muted Deanston nose, that takes a drop of water and a good time to air in the glass in order to release its full treasures. Then you get a very well-aged, bourbon cask dram. Malty honey, creamy vanilla and well-integrated oak dominate the nose, with some floral notes, alongside cinnamon and nutmeg lingering in the background. Classic, nutty Deanston prolife on the palate, with the bourbon oak supporting, rather than dominating. Must be a good blender’s nose to integrate the chosen casks so well. A wave of rich toffee cream leads you into a long, sweet and oaky finish, with malty notes reminding you of the source. Great whisky, prepared as it should be (ncf, no colour etc), sold for a very reasonable price. Deanston is knocking it out of the park of late (the distillery only 23-25yo, Chronicles 1st edition, fino cask release, and Oloroso cask release all spring to mind).

Deanston 18 year old 46.3% HSMSW. NCF and aged in first fill ex bourbon casks. 30ml sample at home. Mid tone yellow, natural looking. Aroma is caramel biscuit, from a distance I get Tunnock's caramel wafer but with my nose in the glass it’s more toffee apple, green apple crumble is dominant, maybe something like guava, caramelised fruit sugars, someone put too much green jelly in the trifle. Impressions of deep sweetness yet also tangy. Faint musty wood behind all the fruity dessert vibes. Potent. Pleasant. Not particularly complex but it’s nice. Body is watery to maybe very lightly oily. Taste has the prickliness of salt, some musty wood, the fruitiness is much more subtle on the palate than in the aroma. It takes a while for the buttery or fudgey sweetness to show itself properly, but then it shows up in every sip (behind the resinous salty hit). It’s warming on the swallow but not too hot at the ABV. There’s a second wave of the sweet and fruity flavours on the finish. The linger has a fair bit of what I’d call alcohol thinning (becomes dry, hot, ethanol takes over the flavours a bit). A good whisky. I can see why it attracted a lot of positive attention. 3.5/84

I think the Deanston 18 has helped me crystallise the difference between a complex whisky and a challenging one. A challenging whisky will make me think "Huh. That's different. Do I like it?" Whereas the experience of drinking this, was me going "Mmmmm." and then silently nodding in agreement for 20 minutes. I got along with this very well and found lots to appreciate. Everything makes sense here, and the components are carefully curated to deliver a very particular experience of of a well aged, unsherried, unpeated, Highland whisky. Trying this for the first time was a bit like meeting someone you have instant chemistry with and then organically recreating the Step Brothers, *Did We Just Become Best Friends?* Meme. To nitpick, straight out of the bottle, it might be a little over-eager to share that ex-bourbon oak lineage, but letting it rest turns a very good whisky into a great one.

This is a great OB daily dram. 87.5-88. it has rich flavors, and it is very friendly to your tongue well sure in the aftertaste the flavors do not come thick considering its ABV that's quite understandable

Full and vibrant. Bourbon fans rejoice, this is the malt for you! Peanuts, nut oils, vanilla, caramel, some mild smoked chilli peppers, lemon skins, spritz of oranges, white pepper, and a hint of green apples. Typically, for these basic flavours I'd only score up to an 86 if done well, but this one's so vibrant and flavourful, it gets a +1. Well done, Deanston!

Before that I tried only 12 and Virgin Oak, the latter by the way is very cool. Here, 18 years old! The aroma is very good, classic bourbon extract, the aroma goes in the fruity-herbal direction. As for me, the reference fragrance for this type of exposure. The taste is good, light, field herbs and wax, very drinkable, light bitterness. In conclusion, we have a beautiful classic malt, which lacks nothing, with a good degree and endurance. I'm more of a fan of double helmets and endurance, but if you take a purely ex-bourbon helmets, then everything went well.

*This review was written based on a blind tasting. This review was written in Korean and translated with ChatGPT

Deanston 18 Year delivers a well-crafted malt experience with a balanced palate that emphasizes both maltiness and fruitiness. It may not have the "wow" factor, but it excels in its execution, offering a smooth and enjoyable drinking experience. The subtle complexity and harmonious flavors make it a solid choice for bourbon cask enthusiasts, providing a pleasurable sip with each taste. The whisky improves with each sip, making it a delightful dram to explore.

Cream soda coupled with fruit gum!

Distell Tasting organized by WhiskyBull 21 Aug 2021 Nose - Dark fruits with malty sweetness Taste - first warmness , followed with a splash of sweetness , warmness grows and finishes with some astringent , in between sips there's a moment of oiliness Finish - short, lingering sweetness, very mild bitterness ending the finish

Solid balance and easy enjoyment

Lovely, elegant, neat, fresh profile. Fresh orchard fruits, apricot, lime, dried citrus peel, tonka beans, marzipan, black pepper and a bit of licorice in the finish.

Just to state that this banger won 1st place on a four person blind against Springbank 18yo, Bruichladdich 18yo, Springbank 12 Cask Strength, Craigellachie 17yo and Glen Scotia 15yo (OSWAs 2025 finalists for Scotch Whisky of the Year line up).

Best nose of the core range, in my opinion. Falls a bit short on the palate and finish, but overall really good. Rather spend my money on a virgin oak or 15 organic, though.

Harmonious nice elegant whisky

BLIND PROVEN Brief : Firm and rich, but not with a variety of flavours, but in development very fragrant, fresh and aromatic, yet keeps a very understandable profile Aroma: Apple juice without sugar - base Cinnamon, basilico, a drop of lemon juice, lily, almost unnoticable cloudy backstage, after a taste peach comes in, mint candies Taste: Arrival : fresh and clean lemonade with apples in it, no sugar added Development: 1st stage : moderate spices come up, cinnamon, peach, apple and lemon sour juice is crawling in 2nd stage : ends with an apple-juice puree and a speaking sour note

Sweet, spicy, gingery, creamy mouthfeel, slightly dusty. Decent complexity, lots of stone fruits. Malty.

i was so wrong about this whisky. At the opening in 2022, there was a strong sulfury note floating on the malty sweetness, making the whisky stands between the line of nasty and clean. However, after resting in the bottle for 3 years, the sulfery note has almost gone, leaving only a few PPM of complexity in the adoring vanilla sweet. Deandton 18 white-labeled has become my favourite bourbon cask-matured whisky this year. It was a huge shock to me that I nearly dumped this mild shining gem.

Very vanilla and honey prominent; extremely subtle citrus/grassy notes do eventually develop in the background, but are then too overshadowed. The extreme smoothness in the finish does give it an edge, but it's by no means extraordinary.

Decent, and an integrity bottle, but just a bit too sweet for my taste. Too high a percentage of first fill bourbon?

Old bourbon whisky. The age gives good integration. A bit sweet, but not too sweet. On the cheap side for the age, but that's fair. You will find cleaner, more complex 18yo's, but probably not for this price.

Vanilla, apple, lemon oil and pears. Pencil shavings and a creamy soapy note. Juicy barley and honey prominent. Also a lovely lactic note.Long lingering finish. excellent whisky

A significant improvement on the 12- the extra time in wood smooths out the edges beautifully. It's exactly what you expect from solid whisky- no surprises, no mishaps. Well worth it to have a bottle on hand, particularly when you can find it for under £100.

This is very good staff. Let it stand a month to oxidize well, it will show its full face. Just amazing and one of whisky that still provides such quality for reasonable price for 18 year scoth. One thing that I didnt like its bottle, it reminds me more of burbon. Kind of american type of bottle.