{"id":2255,"date":"2026-01-05T11:03:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/?p=2255"},"modified":"2025-11-19T11:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:15:22","slug":"deanston-a-hidden-gem-with-a-big-personality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/?p=2255&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Deanston \u2013 a Hidden Gem with a Big Personality"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are distilleries everyone talks about \u2013 and then there\u2019s Deanston. Every year, hundreds of thousands of whisky-thirsty travellers head out from Edinburgh and Glasgow towards islands, mountains and national parks. Lists are ticked off, classics revisited, drams enjoyed. But tucked in among all the obvious destinations is a hidden gem that far too many simply drive past. Deanston is a distillery with history woven into its walls \u2013 and a spirit with a character that refuses to apologise.<\/b><\/p>\n

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Murray Kerr in his element.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Waxy Spirit and a Distinct DNA<\/b><\/h3>\n

When I ask Distillery Manager Murray Kerr what makes Deanston so special, he barely needs a moment. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cDeanston\u2019s most unique feature is our fantastic, waxy new make spirit, which has a very rare character within the Scottish whisky industry,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he says. That waxiness. The backbone behind the fruit. The thing that lifts the spirit whether it rests in classic bourbon casks or bathes in tequila. Yes, tequila. Deanston might not be the industry\u2019s loudest voice \u2013 but it certainly isn\u2019t afraid to experiment.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Farmland to Cotton Mill to\u2026 Whisky<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no surprise that Deanston feels different. The place was built for work, life and movement. It all began as farmland. In 1785, a cotton mill rose beside the River Teith, and at its peak it employed more than 1,100 people \u2013 men, women and children. A whole miniature town grew around it: a school, shops, housing, even its own salmon ladder. Standing in the courtyard today, the history is still palpable. After 180 years of spinning machines and industrial noise, the building found a new purpose in 1966 \u2013 whisky.<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-Sufficient Power \u2013 and Scotland\u2019s Largest Open Mash Tun<\/b><\/h3>\n

Deanston is one of the few distilleries truly in sync with its surroundings. The River Teith provides more than water \u2013 it provides power. Deanston is still fully self-sufficient, running on its own hydroelectric system. And as if that weren\u2019t enough, the distillery also houses Scotland\u2019s largest remaining open-top mash tun. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cIt presents several challenges, but it allows both us and our visitors to see every moving part of the mash tun, and it\u2019s fantastic to watch when it\u2019s working,\u201d<\/span><\/i> says Murray. He sounds genuinely delighted \u2013 like someone who both knows and loves his craft.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rows of yumminess.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The People Behind the Whisky<\/b><\/h3>\n

Today, around ten craftspeople produce the spirit Murray is so proud of. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cLike many distilleries, Deanston is steeped in history and is truly a wonderful place. As Distillery Manager, you\u2019re in a sense a guardian of the site\u2026 and my focus is always to ensure that our wonderful spirit is consistently of the highest quality, so that the heart of Deanston Distillery never changes.\u201d <\/span><\/i>There\u2019s humility there, a sense of responsibility \u2013 and Murray\u2019s own journey to Deanston is almost as interesting as the whisky itself (almost).<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray\u2019s Road to Deanston<\/b><\/h3>\n

He grew up in the Scottish Borders, in the town of Melrose (yes, the one known for its sevens rugby). A career as a distillery manager wasn\u2019t his original plan, but his interest in brewing and distilling eventually led him to Heriot-Watt University. From there, he moved to Oban Distillery, where he spent five years turning theory into practice. In 2021 he joined Deanston as Assistant Manager. After a temporary posting leading Tobermory Distillery on Mull, he returned \u2013 now as Distillery Manager. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cThe whisky industry is, despite its size, really a small community\u2026 I meet many fantastic people I look up to, so I hope I can maintain the same high standard as I continue to develop in my role,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

No Two Days Alike<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u2013 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s such a thing as a \u2018normal\u2019 day as a distillery manager\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/i> Murray begins \u2013 and you can tell he doesn\u2019t mind. Safety comes first, of course. But then comes production planning, historical analysis, improvement work, long-term strategy \u2013 and the occasional VIP visitor he guides through the old industrial site. It\u2019s a blend of routine, craftsmanship and spontaneity. A lot like Deanston itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tradition \u2013 with Just the Right Amount of Experimentation<\/b><\/h3>\n

In a whisky world eager to explore new recipes, barley varieties, yeast strains and exotic casks, Deanston stands sure-footed in its own identity. The spirit can handle a range of cask styles, yet never loses its characteristic core. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cDeanston grows year by year, but we\u2019re still only known among the more ambitious and curious whisky drinkers\u2026 The most important thing for us is that people taste Deanston whisky to experience that iconic waxy character,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Murray says. And indeed, shelves already feature favourites like the 12-, 18- and 21-year-olds, alongside occasional experimental releases. Organic expressions. Dessert wine casks. Tequila finishes. Deanston doesn\u2019t shout. It simply makes good whisky.<\/span><\/p>\n

And What About the Future?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Murray is here to stay. \u2013 <\/span>\u201cI hope to put down roots at Deanston for many years\u2026 I work with a fantastic team and brilliant colleagues at Tobermory and Bunnahabhain, and I always want to keep developing my knowledge and understanding of every part of the process \u2013 from malting to warehousing to cask selection.\u201d <\/span><\/i>In other words: the right person in the right place \u2013 and certainly the right distillery to visit if you want to get a little closer to the heart of Scottish whisky tradition.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are distilleries everyone talks about \u2013 and then there\u2019s Deanston. Every year, hundreds of thousands of whisky-thirsty travellers head…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-okategoriserade-en"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6PMD0-An","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2255"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2265,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2255\/revisions\/2265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglarnasandel.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}