Spirit Type: Whisky

Country: Scotland

ABV:  40%

Bottle size: 70cl

Description:

The Glen Deveron Distillery may or may not exist. Both Macduff and Glen Deveron have alternately been used to refer to this still-young distillery. Whatever the name, it is where The Deveron release we are reviewing today is from. One of Dewar's "Last Great Malts" collections, The Deveron features five single malts that make up the malt whisky component of Dewar's blends. At 40% ABV, this 18-year-old is bottled.

The appearance is reddish gold, not quite red enough to be compared to a brand-new copper penny. This has a fairly sturdy nose. My freshly poured made itself known in my room without a doubt.

When oxygenation first begins, the aroma is a combination of chopped apples with traces of semi-sweet caramel, baking spices, and bitter chocolate.

On the palate, it tastes like chocolate and apples and has a medium-bodied, slightly astringent texture that still retains some creaminess. The nose on this release isn't deceiving, but there is a little more bitterness (remember that copper penny?) that pops out in unexpected places. The first time I experienced it,

the center of the palate flared up; other times, it seemed to be lurking in the end. It could have been "opening night jitters" as I had only just opened it since subsequent tastes revealed that the sharpness had transformed into semi-sweet, creamy chocolate.

This release took longer than I anticipated to complete. It retains your interest longer than an 80-proof whisky should before turning peppery or spicy at the finish.

This release is balanced out with some water, which also helps to moderate the bitterness. Breaking it takes this Deveron into the realm of dark chocolate and milkshakes. However, due to the relatively low proof, there is a cost when you further cut the alcohol in this release.

It's not a particularly complicated release, but it has its charms. It makes sense to me why this is an essential part of blends. It offers the flexibility necessary for creating whisky. Spices, sweetness, etc. To see this at a somewhat higher proof would have been nice.