Deanston Distillery occupies a former cotton mill on the banks of the River Teith in Doune, Perthshire. The mill was built in 1785 by Richard Arkwright and converted to whisky production in 1965, retaining its open-top mash tun and weir-driven hydroelectric power — a quirk that makes Deanston one of the few self-sufficient distilleries in Scotland.
The 9 Year Old Bordeaux Red Wine Cask is part of Deanston's rotating cask-finish range under master distiller Brendan McCarron (formerly of Glenmorangie). Matured initially in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in red wine casks sourced from Bordeaux, it is bottled at natural cask strength, non-chill-filtered and without added colouring — the house style Deanston has leaned into since the 2012 rebrand.
At 56.3% ABV the spirit carries the wine influence without being swamped by it. Deanston's waxy, cereal-forward new make provides a sturdy backbone for the tannic red fruit character, and the result is more earthy claret than jammy shiraz. The lack of chill-filtration shows in the oily texture, which coats the glass and rewards a drop of water.
It is a well-priced introduction to Deanston's cask-strength credentials, and a useful benchmark for what a Highland malt can do with a French wine finish when the base spirit has the weight to carry it.
