Deanston distillery information
Established in a former cotton mill dating back to 1785, the Deanston distillery was founded in 1965 by Deanston Distillery Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of James Finlay & Co. Ltd. It’s located in Near Doune (home to the Doune Castle, where Monty Python filmed their movie “The quest for the holy grail”) in the Scottish Highlands, on the edge of the fast flowing River Teith. The original mill was designed by Richard Arkwright, who invented steam-powered spinning. For the reconstruction, several floors had to be removed. The conversion of the mill to a distillery was inspired by Brodie Hepburn Ltd., whisky brokers from Glasow, who owned the Tullibardine distillery, and builders of the Macduff distillery in 1963.
The first distillation started in October 1969, with the first whisky being sold in 1971 under the name “Old Bannockburn”. In 1972 the distillery was sold to Invergordon Distillers Holdings Ltd., who released the first Deanston Single Malt in 1974. In 1982, the distillery was closed, and remained so until 1990 when it was purchased by Burn Stewart & Co. plc from Glasgow (they would also purchase Tobermory in 1993, and Bunnahabhain in 2003). Production resumed in 1991. 18% of the Burn Stewart shares were acquired by C.L. Financial from Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, with the rest of the shares following in 2002. In 2013, Burn Stewart is sold by C.L Financials to South African Distell.
Distell was itself acquired by Heineken in 2023, and Deanston now sits within CVH Spirits, the independent company formed for the Scotch brands after that deal. Deanston still draws its water and power from the River Teith, running its own turbine and feeding surplus electricity into the grid.
Deanston is water powered, using a water turbine to generate electricity with the excess fed into the grid.
Deanston whiskies
The majority of the whisky made at Deanston is used in the Burn Stewart blends. However, there are official expressions available:
- Deanston 12 Year Old – matured in bourbon casks, 46.3% ABV, non-chill filtered, no added colour
- Deanston Virgin Oak – finished in American virgin oak, 46.3% ABV
- Deanston 18 Year Old – matured in bourbon casks, 46.3% ABV
Limited releases include:
- Deanston 15 Year Old Tequila Cask Finish – 52.5% ABV
- Deanston 17 Year Old Orange Wine Cask Finish – 53.6% ABV
Historical releases included:
- Spanish Oak, 20 Years Old – ex-Bourbon for 11 years, then 9 years in Spanish Lepanto casks, 784 bottles
- Toasted Oak, 15 Years Old – re-charred ex-Bourbon casks, then a further 6 years in ex-whisky casks
- 1974, 37 Years Old – Oloroso Sherry casks, 102 bottles
- Festival Edition (2013) – released for the visitor centre’s first anniversary
- 17 Years Old
- 30 Years Old (2006)
- 35 Years Old, limited edition (2003)
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Deanston |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Water source | River Teith |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | CVH Spirits |
| Address |
Deanston |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://deanstonmalt.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/deanstonmalt/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/deanstondistillery | |
| https://www.instagram.com/deanstonmalt/ | |
| Community | Deanston Community |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 11.2 tonnes | 1 (cast iron) |
| Washback | 60,000 litres | 8 (Corten steel) |
| Wash still | 20,000 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 17,000 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,000,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The distillery is housed in a former cotton mill dating back to 1785, originally designed by Richard Arkwright, inventor of steam-powered spinning. Deanston Distillery Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of James Finlay & Co. Ltd, converted the mill into a distillery in 1965, an idea inspired by whisky brokers Brodie Hepburn Ltd, who owned the Tullibardine distillery and had built the Macduff distillery two years earlier. Several floors had to be removed from the original mill during the conversion.
Yes. Deanston sits in the Scottish Highlands near Doune, on the edge of the fast-flowing River Teith, close to Doune Castle, which was used as a filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Deanston’s first distillation took place in October 1969, and the resulting whisky was first sold in 1971 under the name Old Bannockburn. The first whisky bottled as Deanston Single Malt followed in 1974, after the distillery had been sold to Invergordon Distillers Holdings Ltd in 1972.
Deanston closed in 1982 and stayed closed until Burn Stewart & Co plc bought it in 1990, resuming production in 1991. Burn Stewart went on to buy Tobermory in 1993 and Bunnahabhain in 2003. C.L. Financial, from Trinidad and Tobago, acquired 18 percent of Burn Stewart’s shares in 1999 and the rest in 2002, before selling the company to South African group Distell in 2013. Distell was itself acquired by Heineken in 2023, and Deanston now sits within CVH Spirits, the independent company formed to hold the Scotch brands from that deal.
Yes. Deanston still draws its water and power from the River Teith, running its own water turbine to generate electricity and feeding any surplus into the grid.
The core range includes the Deanston 12 Year Old, matured in bourbon casks at 46.3% ABV, non-chill filtered with no added colour; the Deanston Virgin Oak, finished in American virgin oak at 46.3% ABV; and the Deanston 18 Year Old, also matured in bourbon casks at 46.3% ABV. Limited releases have included a 15 Year Old Tequila Cask Finish and a 17 Year Old Orange Wine Cask Finish, alongside older releases such as a 20 Year Old Spanish Oak, a 15 Year Old Toasted Oak, a 37 Year Old matured in Oloroso sherry casks, and age statements at 17, 30 and 35 years.
Yes, Deanston has a visitor centre.