Deanston

Introduction:

Deanston Distillery is known for producing strong and spicy whiskies. Since its reopening, the range of whiskies has expanded, including sherry maturations and a virgin cask edition with whisky matured in fresh charred casks. While there are some independent bottlings available, they are not particularly abundant. The distillery used to produce a blended whisky called Teith Mill, but it was discontinued after the old distillery closed down.

Production:

Deanston Distillery buildings are large and house four pot stills. The water used in production comes from the nearby River Teith. After the distillery’s reopening, the equipment was also adapted for gin and vodka production.

Pot Stills:

The pot stills at Deanston Distillery are visually appealing and arranged in a single line. The wash still has a capacity of 20,000 litres, while the spirit still holds 17,000 litres. The reflux bowl above the intermediate section is highly constricted, resulting in significant reflux. The lyne arm slightly rises after the bend, facilitating good separation of alcohol and contributing to a smoother whisky profile.

Malting:

Deanston no longer conducts in-house malting and instead purchases malt made from Scottish barley.

Warehouse:

Deanston warehouses feature a wide variety of casks, including bourbon and sherry casks made of European and American oak. The warehouses are constructed of brick and are kept cool to promote slow maturation with minimal temperature fluctuations.

History:

Before becoming a whisky distillery, Deanston was a cotton mill founded in 1785. The mill was powered by water wheels sourced from the River Teith, and it had its own power supply. In 1965, the site was transformed into a distillery, with whisky production commencing in 1966. However, the quality of the whisky produced at that time was not impressive, leading to a cessation of production in 1982. The distillery was refurbished with new equipment and reopened in 1991, now producing whisky, gin, and vodka.

Visitor Centre:

Deanston’s visitor centre opened in 2012 and offers various tour options. The top tour includes a distillery visit, a tour of the water turbine, and a guided tasting of Deanston’s main whiskies. The distillery is also available for booking for company meetings and other events.

Visitor information:

Deanston Distillery
Near Doune
Perthshire
FK16 6AG
Tel: +44 (0)1786-843010