Virgin Oak Glen Garioch vs Deanston
Official Releases | 48 & 58.5% ABV
Virgin Oak.
A first fill barrel, not to be confused with a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel - which is technically a second fill barrel.
It’s the first touch of extractive liquid to toasted wood and char. And that first dance between spirit and wood can be as awkward or magical as a junior high dance. And just as that first dance unfolds, many paths are presented and the chemistry of the duo usually dictates how that interaction progresses.
When we discuss virgin oak, it is almost always American white oak (Quercus alba). It’s quite rare for virgin oak barrels to be made of European (French and Spanish) oak owing to factors that include the difficulty in coopering due to the wood grain, and the local wine industries gobble up the vast majority of these barrels for their own ageing programs.
And since American oak, which is of course grown in the USA, grows so straight and true with a favourable grain structure, it is only natural that local alcoholic beverages leverage this advantage. Just like anyone worth their salt, it only makes sense that local beverages are tailored to the available resources.
This logic tracks similar to French wine, which are generally known to be big, bold, and punchy, requiring a sturdy viticulture to work with the high-tannin French oak.
Similarly, American wines generally trend towards the lighter, brighter, and sweeter styles. With the prevalence of hot and dry climates in the American midwest and southern regions, corn can grow easier than other grains. After distilling, corn spirits are generally sweeter and less fruity than malted barley distillates. And what pairs well with a sweet distillate? More sweet, vanilla-laden, low-tannin American oak goodness.
There’s a reason that bourbon works so well with virgin American oak. I would wager that a long-aged bourbon in a second fill (refill) cask wouldn’t be as magical as an equivalent malt whisky owing the low esters in the distillate, making it dang near ideal to be dumped into a barrel that’ll dump tons of flavour into it in the short-term, also matching the aggressive maturation climates in the US as well. There are no coincidences really, just the slow progression of optimization and the desire to improve.
I’m not unfamiliar with virgin American oak malt whiskies. I’ve reviewed a few on Dramface already, and tried many more. I’ve shared an absolutely magical ~25-27 yo unpeated Millstone single malt left in a virgin oak barrel for its entire life that was so luscious and tropical it bordered on ludicrous and impossible.
And it just wasn’t me that day, with our Earie joining me as well, and the look we shared after having this ~42 %abv cask strength virgin oak whisky was one of stunned impossibility. How had a virgin oak barrel produced such a tropical fruit bomb and not be like drinking liquid oak? That memory is lodged into the memory banks, and if that whisky ever comes to Canada, I’ll forego buying whisky for a whole year just to buy that one.
Review 1/2
Glen Garioch, Virgin Oak No.2, NAS, Official Bottling, 48% ABV
CAD$80 paid (£47) fairly wide availability
So with the possibility of a virgin oak malt whisky being capable of producing some enjoyable drams, I’ve got this double-header lined up today to see how these two different distillates work in virgin American oak.
Nose
Barrel spices, brown sugars, caramels, honey. It is an unabashed virgin oak malt whisky. Very bourbon like with the notable exception of no corn-derived sweetness and cherry-like notes.
Palate
Nutmeg, caramel toffees, cinnamon bite. Decent bitter barrel astringency is present, which tacks onto the spices and rides through the experience. Under this toffee and spice layer is a gentle undercurrent of vanilla and the ever-so-slight red apple. It is noticeably less sweet on the palate than the nose would lead you to believe. There’s a vegetal-like note that I can only describe as the char on grilled vegetables. It’s different from the barrel astringency I noted earlier.
Water changes the palate experience significantly. The entry is now softer and sweeter, with less of the nutmeg & cinnamon bite. Then it ramps up fast, bringing a white pepper heat while a rush of the spice and bitter notes return on the latter half of the experience. Toffee red apples occupy the finish after a while. The mouthfeel is somehow chewier with water. Interesting.
The Dregs
The bottle clearly states it has matured in virgin oak barrels, leading me to believe this non-age stated whisky spent its entire life in virgin barrels. That being said though, the whisky industry as a whole seems to stretch the definition of maturation, with an undefined difference between a finish, maturation, or complete maturation. Unfortunately for this Geery, the label or box was no help in this matter - unlike the clearly labelled Deanston also under the microscope here today.
Now for the price and score. This bottle is routinely $130-140 CAD in my market but Broddy being of the frugal sort, especially since us Dramface writers use our own funds to purchase bottles, snagged this at a deep discount. It was presumably discounted to clear out old stock, but I’ve since checked and there’s still plenty of stock around, so apparently that didn’t work.
So I’ve scored this at my price paid, and it’s almost a 5 but it’s missing balance and could be improved. It would make a great cocktail whisky, a summer sipper with a cube, or a barrel led whisky for those guests who enjoy bourbon. If I paid the RRP in my area, this would irrefutably be a 4/10 but alas, being a smart shopper has given this honest malt an almost average score. Please don’t pay over the $80CAD/$60USD/£50 mark. Personally, a splash of water turns this into a more easy-drinker but still with dashes of bitterness.
Score: 4/10
Review 2/2
Deanston, Virgin Oak Cask Strength, NAS, Official Bottling, 58.5% ABV
CAD$60 paid (£34) occasional availability
Nose
Very restrained for the ABV, edging somewhere along the 48% mark. A balanced swirl of oaky spice (primarily cinnamon), creamed honey, vanilla custard, and hard candied fruit.
Palate
At full chooch, it’s got oak, that’s to be expected. But, there’s quite a lovely balance here. The cinnamon and nutmeg tickle are present. But there’s a lovely syrupy mouthfeel that’s missing from nearly all virgin oak single malts I’ve tried. That syrupy note resolves into honey, tinned peaches, and light caramel sauce. Very delicious. In fact, the syrupy honey concoction punches through the oak influence.
With a dash of water, dial the oak down by 30%, and keep everything else, but now with a touch of orange oil. Personally, a dash of water makes this shine even more. Delicious.
The Dregs
Now it’s been a hot minute (ok, 3 years) since my last normal strength Deanston Virgin Oak. I remember it being nice, mainly a nice blend of maltiness and honey, plus a smattering of secondary notes. Nothing special, but a good dram at a good price point. Since it didn’t register on the Broddy special-o-meter, I never replaced it. No harm, no foul.
But this, this is something else entirely. It doesn’t drink as hot as the 58.5% would suggest. It isn’t an oak bomb. It isn’t anything negative at all actually. It’s very enjoyable and the bottle level is rapidly dropping. Shockingly fast actually. Would I have two Deanston’s to one Geery? Well you can guess based on the score… I’m tempted to give this Deanston a 7/10 when comparing side-by-side to the Geery, it’s that different.
According to the back label, it spent most of its life in ex-bourbon barrels before a finish of up to 12 months in virgin oak. I only discovered this fact after draining nearly half the bottle and writing my thoughts down… perhaps this is why I enjoyed this one so much?
Now the scoring. I’ve got some experience with virgin oak single malts. There’s an absolutely stunning Millstone 1996 American Oak that crushes all competition here today, in experience but also in price. Then there’s a Canadian duo from Grain Henge, both scoring a 5 and 6 for a similar price as the Geery… After pouring all of these in a single session, other than being blasted by oak, what do I think?
Well dang, this Deanston is poised. Poised as hell actually. It’s smooth, refined, and not overcooked. Of these five referenced virgin oakers, it comes second place only to a 20 year old.
It’s very good. But is it a 6 or a 7? That’s going to come down to personal preference. If you’re a bourbon drinker or don’t mind virgin oak, this might edge towards a 7/10 based on the value proposition and distinct smoothness compared to the others discussed here. If you’re an ex-bourbon or third-fill (refill) fan, this probably is too much oak, even though objectively it’s quite restrained and balanced.
*I’m settling on a 6. No, a 7. Dammit, I’m going 6. Compared to other 7’s I’ve scored, this is definitely a 6. Wait, it’s easily 20-30% cheaper than many others I’ve scored a 7. Let’s review. If I want a 7/10 pour on a night, how would this compare? Ok, this is a 6/10, price be damned. It’s missing a thing or two to make this a 7. Right, a 6/10 it is.
FYI, that’s strike two for OB Geery’s…
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB