🥃 Deanston 12 Year Old
Core expression of the Deanston distillery: Highland single malt whisky, 12 years in bourbon casks, 46.3% ABV.
Deanston 12 Year Old is the core expression of the Deanston distillery in Doune, near Stirling, in the Highland region. It is a single malt Scotch whisky with a stated age of 12 years, and its strength is 46.3% ABV. The producer counts it in the core range together with Virgin Oak and the 18-year-old.
According to Difford's Guide, the whisky spends all 12 years in bourbon casks. It is bottled without chill filtration and without added colouring. The producer says the barley is always unpeated and grown in the Highlands. It describes the aroma as fresh hay, malty cereal, creamy toffee and heather honey, with a clove finish.
Why it matters to you. The 12-year-old best shows the style of the distillery. Deanston Virgin Oak is younger and finished in new casks, while the Deanston 18 Year Old matures longer. Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old, from another distillery owned by the same group, has the same 46.3% strength. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46.3% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Cask type | bourbon casks |
| Raw material | unpeated Highland malted barley; water |
| EU category | 2 - whisky |
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890): Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Highland |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Deanston 12 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Deanston, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Highland whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old, 🥃 Deanston 18 Year Old, 🥃 Deanston 18 Year Old, 🥃 Deanston Virgin Oak, 🥃 Deanston Virgin Oak
Frequently asked questions
Is Deanston 12 a peated whisky?
No. The producer says its barley is always unpeated.
What is the ABV of Deanston 12 Year Old?
46.3% ABV, according to the producer and Difford's Guide.
Why does Deanston 12 turn cloudy with ice?
It is not chill filtered, so natural oils can cause slight clouding when chilled. This is not a fault.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel — American white oak cask of 180–200 litres used for bourbon: bourbon may only be aged in new charred casks, so used ones go to Scotch, Irish whiskey and rum.
Similar
🥃 Deanston 18 Year Old · 🥃 Deanston Virgin Oak · 🥃 Tobermory 12 Year Old · 🥃 The Deveron 12 Year Old · 🥃 Tomatin Legacy · 🥃 The Glenturret Triple Wood
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Deanston (official): Deanston 12 Year Whisky (46.3 %; Core Range; bourbon casks; non-chill filtered, no added colour, always unpeated Highland barley)
- Difford's Guide: Deanston 12 Year Old (46.3 %; 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels; non-chill filtered; no caramel colouring)
- Deanston (official): Core Range (12 Year Old, Virgin Oak, 18 Year Old)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)
Also listed under
- SpiritsWhiskyScotch WhiskyHighland whisky
- SpiritsWhiskyScotch WhiskyDeanston
- SpiritsWhiskyScotch Whisky
- SpiritsWhiskyDeanston