Deanston
QUICK FACTS
- Location: Perthshire, Central Scotland
- Visitor centre: Open year round
- Year founded: 1965
- Owner: Distell International
- Production capacity: 3 million litres
- Number of stills: Four
- Typical phenol level (new make): Unpeated
Situated on the banks of the river Teith near Stirling, Deanston was once a large mill and boasted the largest water wheel in Europe. For almost two hundred years the site produced cotton products and was home to numerous innovations throughout the industrial revolution, before eventually being turned to the production of whisky in 1964. The fledgling distillery was soon bought by Invergordon, before being sold to Burns Stewart following the whisky crash of the 1980s. The power of the Teith still forms an integral part of life at Deanston, with a turbine generating all of the power needed to maintain production. Frequently this system generates more than enough electricity, with the excess being contributed to the national energy grid.
Since joining the Burns Stewart family, which also includes Bunnahabhain and Tobermory, the distillery has produced a number of single malt bottlings. An open-topped mash tun processes 12 tonnes of malt per charge, filling eight stainless steel washbacks for a fermentation time of roughly 85 hours. The stills come in two pairs, with lyne arms that slope up towards to condensers to create the right conditions for reflux, producing a light spirit that can be described as 'waxy'.
Other Distilleries
