Review: Deanston Orange Wine Cask Finish 17 Years Old

Whoever bet on sleepy Deanston to have one of the most ambitious experimental whisky collections, step right up and claim your prize. After Virgin Oak, Tequila Cask, and Organic Oak releases, the Highland distillery has dropped its latest Experimental Whisky, this one finished in Vino de Naranja casks (which Deanston confusingly refers to as Orange Wine).

The whisky spends 15 years in ex-bourbon barrels before its two years of finishing in Vino de Naranja barrels. For those unfamiliar, unlike modern orange wine (essentially a type of rose table wine), Vino de Naranja is a Spanish fortified wine made with the infusion of bitter orange peels. Technically it can also be described as an “orange wine,” and I’m sure that term looks more enticing (and understandable) on the label than “Vino de Naranja” does. So, Deanston is forgiven.

7000 bottles were produced for this release, and we got a small taste. Let’s dig in.

Deanston Orange Wine Cask Finish 17 Years Old Review

The intense citrus on the nose here immediately recalls a sherried Speyside single malt, with its prominent, almost biting orange influence. Cinnamon and cardamom add a distinctly spicy element, with some peppermint aromas building with time in glass.

Rich and a little funky on the palate, loads of fresh orange marmalade await the drinker, amplified by those same spice notes backing it all up. It’s perhaps a bit one-note — Vino de Naranja will do that to a delicate whisky — but it’s a note that works well, slowly emerging as a rather beautiful whisky despite some initial brutishness. The reasonably high abv gives the finish some kick, menthol and a pinch of pepper offering a bracing, almost cleansing conclusion.

107.2 proof.

A- / $132

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