Deanston 17 år Old Version Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%

Seventeen years is an awkward number for a whisky. It was chosen because the casks were ready — not because anyone thought it looked good on a label.

Expert description

Deanston 17 years Old Version is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release predates Deanston moving its core range to 46.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring. Seventeen years in cask is uncommon even today, and when this was bottled it was among the house's oldest releases. Deanston has distilled since the mid-1960s in a converted cotton mill by the River Teith, and the long maturations show a different side from the core range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Mature and restrained. Honey, dried apple and malt, with vanilla, nuts and a dusty note from the years in glass.

Palate

Soft and round. Malt, honey and candied fruit, with a warm spiced middle. At 40% it is light, but the seventeen years have given a depth the strength cannot hide.

Finish

Medium and dry, with nuts, malt and a mild oak warmth.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 17 years Old Version Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Old Version
EAN no.: 5013261190453

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Honeyed · Nutty · Mature

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, and Deanston has not had a standing 17 year old in the range since. Older releases from the house keep getting harder to find.

Did you know?

Deanston is one of the few Scottish distilleries that uses no peat at all. All the malt is unpeated, and the smoke simply does not exist in the house — which is why long maturation here is about fruit and nuts rather than burning off smoke.

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Frequently asked questions about Deanston 17 years Old Version

Why seventeen years and not eighteen?

Because the age statement follows the casks rather than the marketing. Deanston bottled when the parcel was ready, and that gave seventeen years — a number most distilleries skip.

What is the difference from the current style?

The old one is bottled at 40% and chill filtered. Deanston's current range sits at 46.3% without filtration and without colouring, which gives more body and a creamy texture.

Is it worth keeping?

It is discontinued, and Deanston has not had a standing 17 year old since. The combination of a high age and a distillery only properly discovered in recent years makes it interesting.

Is it peated?

No. Deanston uses no peat at all, either then or now. For smoke, head towards Islay Whisky.

How should an older bottle be stored?

Upright, dark and cool. The cork does not tolerate constant contact with spirit, and sunlight bleaches the label and changes the flavour over time.

What defines Deanston?

A soft, honeyed and malty Highland style from a converted cotton mill by the River Teith. See the rest of the region in our Highland Whisky.