Deanston 19 (1994) (Cadenhead's Small Batch)

Mark: 15/23 Awesome! Another significant moment! Time to break open another special bottle! Nose: Wow, it's really quite mild. I definitely detect alcohol. There's a slickness, but it also seems somewhat thin. Hints of apple. To be honest, it mostly smells of alcohol. Still, a developing funkiness is present. A bit of meaty funk from the distillery. The subtlest malt. It gives me a feeling similar to Dewar's 15. Palate: Significantly richer and more engaging than the aroma suggested. Abundant wax with apples and some sweetness. A substantial oiliness too. It's like a strange apple pie variation without the spices. It's decent, but man, does it sting. Ah, some spices do emerge. Ginger, cinnamon, clove. There's also a bit of a funky element. Some malt that's akin to slightly underdone caramel. I'm fortunate this is so potent, or it would be far too weak in flavor. Actually, adding a little water reveals considerably more spices. This truly elevates the drink! I hadn't anticipated this. It doesn't taste watered down at all. I'm getting much more cinnamon, along with some allspice, ginger, and clove. Maybe a touch of nutmeg. Also, a bit of green banana reminiscent of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof. It's difficult to overstate how much that water enhances this dram. The alcohol burn is also greatly reduced. This has transformed from young and acceptable to quite luxurious. The water also unlocks more funky complexity. It has a slightly rough edge, but not overly so. There's more grain character, like a field at harvest. A little toastiness. It's a welcome added layer of depth. Oh, and there's a lot of wax now. It strongly reminds me of Clynelish and a bit of Loch Lomond. This is a prime example of why higher proof isn't always superior. As I adjust the water, I sometimes get light melon and other times a hint of milk. I've also managed to identify honey, coconut milk, lemongrass, and some mild botanical notes. I guess one could say there's considerable depth to be discovered here. Finish: Without any water, there's a strong lingering burn with a honey-like malt, some grassiness, almost a faint smoky quality, a numbing clove sensation, faint distillery funk, and the occasional trace of cinnamon. With water, there's more of a distillery funk taste with some wax. It leans more towards bitter and funky notes. - Summary - I'd heard Deanston was a very mellow spirit, and that's largely true, apart from the waxiness. I appreciate the flavors, but I'm not exactly thrilled. Deanston is likely not a distillery I'll seek out in the future, but if I find one at a good price, I might consider it. This actually tastes rather young; I certainly wouldn't have guessed it was older than 15 years and might have thought it was closer to 10. Without water, this completely lacks the complexity and subtlety of a Cadenhead's single cask bottling of Tullibardine 25 (1993). There's some pleasant rich oiliness here combined with that sweet malty caramel, but this tastes significantly younger and has a harsher burn. With water, this begins to rival in complexity, but it's nowhere near as mature. Even with water, this struggles to compete with Loch Lomond 12 (16/23). I feel there might be a sweet spot where this surpasses Loch Lomond 12 by a point or two, but it's so difficult to reach that zone that I can't honestly score it based on that flavor profile, even if I do manage to achieve it. I can consistently get it close in quality to the Loch Lomond, though. If not for the intense burn that remains quite noticeable even with water, I might consider giving this the same score as the Loch Lomond. I'm currently leaning towards a 15 for this. That waxiness with some fruit and distillery funk that appears when the water is just right is really good. It's not outstanding, but it's quite enjoyable. If it weren't so tricky to get the water balance right, I'd probably aim for a 16. There's no question this is better than Monkey Shoulder (14/23). I think if diluted to 40% ABV, it would show less alcohol and possess more intriguing complexity – though at that point, it becomes a matter of personal preference. Compass Box Glasgow Blend (14/23) is sweeter and more entertaining, but it's sweet to the point of being slightly candy-like by comparison – like liquor for youngsters. It's certainly more accessible, but I favor this. Normally, I'm quite fond of the Glasgow Blend, though. I believe I'm pretty settled on a 15 at this stage. Frankly, I was afraid this would be worse, but I also hoped it would be better. I've had some success with independent bottlings of delicate distillates like Glen Grant, Tullibardine, and Auchroisk. This is apparently not that delicate and didn't quite turn out as well. Nevertheless, it's interesting and a pleasant drink when I'm in the mood for a bit of a challenge.