WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2022

 The whisky exchange whisky of the year 2022

THE SHORTLIST

 

1.   Penderyn Rich Oak: A permanent addition to the beloved Welsh distillery's line-up, released in recognition of the popularity of its small-batch Rich Oak bottlings, this is a sweet, rich and fruity single malt. Aged in ex-bourbon casks & finished in a selection of European ex-wine casks, this has notes of dark chocolate fudge, pepper, mango, green apple and vanilla. 46% ABV.

2.   Oban 2006 Distillers Edition Bot.2020: A 2006 Distillers Edition Oban single malt, finished in Montilla Fino sherry casks and bottled in 2020. Aromas of dates, sugared almonds, ginger, oak and waxy orange peel fill the nose, complemented by notes of chocolate digestives, ginger biscuits, pecans, salty sea breeze and juicy sultanas throughout the palate. 43% ABV.

3.  Glen Moray 18 Year Old: Matured for 18 years in first-fill American oak casks, this Glen Moray single malt has a sweet, sophisticated character with aromas of caramelised apples, vanilla, toffee and toasted oak spice on the nose. The palate offers notes of cinnamon-baked apple, vanilla, raisins, toasted oak and baking spices that linger in the finish. 47.2% ABV.

4.  Deanston 18 Year Old: This 18-year-old Highland malt is matured entirely in first-fill Bourbon casks, dialling up Deanston’s trademark tropical fruit and honey character to eleven and reinforcing it with rich American oak notes of butter and vanilla. Distillery Bottling 46.3% ABV. Fantastic stuff.

5.   Mortlach 16 Year Old: Distiller's Dram at 43.4% ABV. A rich and sherried expression from Mortlach always compared to the fan-favourite 16-year-old Flora & Fauna bottling. This is more balanced than that discontinued dram, with a mix of first-fill and refill sherry casks giving a wider range of sherry-cask character, from rich and dark dried fruit to plump and juicy berries.

6.    Old Pulteney 15 Year Old: 46% ABV. A rich, elegant single malt that's part of Old Pulteney's new range for 2018. This 15-year-old single malt has been matured in both ex-bourbon and Spanish oak casks.

THE WINNER

Choosing just one whisky to celebrate is never easy, but thanks to the panel of industry experts and the attendees at the judging event in London’s Covent Garden, the shortlist of six was whittled down to just one: The Whisky of the Year 2022.

This year’s shortlist included whiskies from the highlands and the islands, bold sherry bombs, creamy bourbon barrel single malts and a chocolaty Welsh whisky. After much deliberation the votes were cast and the winner was clear, the Whisky of the Year is Deanston 18 Year Old.

A fruity, sweet 18-year-old single malt from Highland distillery Deanston that has been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, cranking the distillery’s honeyed, fruity character up to eleven. Aromatic oak spice mingles with floral malt, green grass, honey-drizzled vanilla pods and hints of nutmeg on the nose, complemented by notes of white pepper, gingerbread, oranges, Manuka honey and baking spices throughout the palate.

DEANSTON DISTILLERY

There are many distilleries in Scotland which started life as mills, but none of them had quite the scale of Deanston. This huge plant was constructed on the banks of the fast-flowing River Teith in 1785, where it creates a distinctively honeyed single malt whisky. The vast majority of Deanston spirit ends up in blends, so its single malt whisky releases are always something to get excited about. What’s more, the industrial – and industrious – heritage of Deanston and its surroundings has filtered into the distillery’s ethos; hard work and precision lie at its heart, and it shows in the quality of its whisky. The distillery even manufactures its own electricity with a hydroelectric plant.

The Deanston distillery is situated in the Highlands. It lies close to the town of Doune, southwest of Perth, known for its manufacture of ‘doune pistols’ (the first shot fired in the American war of independence allegedly came from one). Its buildings, designed by Richard Arkwright (who invented the Spinning Jenny), date back to 1785, when it was a working cotton mill, driven by the waters of the River Teith. In its heyday it employed 1,000 people and housed what was then the largest waterwheel in Europe.

In 1966, the buildings were converted into a distillery, partly due to the plentiful supply of water from the river and the cool humid conditions of the weaving shed perfect for ageing fine malt whisky. 

Deanston’s style is one of purity emanating from the river on whose banks the distillery lies. Analysis of the Teith’s soft waters found it was perfect for malt production. It flows from feeder streams high in the Trossachs, through granite and peat beds, and is considered one of the purest rivers in Scotland.

Deanston uses only unpeated Malts from Angus, East, Lothian and Moray, to produce a light, nutty, malty and restorative style of whisky. Although single malt bottlings started relatively early – in 1974 – it is only recently that Deanston has been elevated to a front-line single malt brand.

Its mash tun is open-topped for example, while the way it is run – low gravity worts, long fermentation, slow distillation – helps to produce a new make style which is in the waxy quadrant. This represents a switch back to the original style. In the Invergordon era, Deanston had conformed to a modern style of production, making a light dry ‘nutty-spicy’ make.

Today organic barley is also run through the stills and, in common with all of Burn Stewart’s single malts, it is bottled without chill-filtering or caramel tinting.