One more Deanston from Distell 2019 collection and this time it’s the 1997 vintage 21 Year Old finished in Palo Cortado casks.

The whisky was distilled and filled into bourbon casks on November 1997 where it matured for over 18 years and then it was finished in the Palo Cortado sherry hogsheads since April 2016 (so finished for over 2 years).

1663 (or maybe it’s 280?) bottles were made, bottled at 51.8%.

Last year Distell released Palo Cortado finished Bunnahabhain which was excellent and I assume those Palo Cortado casks here are from the same cask parcel so I have high expectations!

Deanston 1997 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Cask Finish (51.8%, £150/€237,99)

Nose: Lovely depth of notes. There’s earthy side here with dried fruits, and Portobello mushrooms, dark chocolate, sherry vinegar, dark cherries, a few specks of nutmeg and cinnamon and eventually the Deanston honey and cereals shows up through the cracks of the sherry casks notes.

Palate: Sherry vinegar, old sherry, sweet dried fruit, soursweet tropical fruits, chocolate, a bit of cinnamon and more nutmeg,

Finish: Medium length, lingering tropical fruits, gentle spiciness nutmeg, earthy undernote.

Thoughts: This is a real cracker! Lovely sherry notes with earthy facet along with malt, honey and tropical fruitiness.

Distell did smartly here selecting those three releases, All three releases inhabit the Deanston profile and characteristics of soft, creamy and rich textured malt and honey balanced with the sherry flavors imparted from the casks for three different sherry cask types. Great work!