One of the bottles I received for review from the recent Bar & Restaurant Expo included The Deacon, a blended scotch whisky from both Islay and Speyside, so there’s a bit of distinctive peat. It’s distributed by Sovereign Brands. I had tasted it at a past Expo and liked it then, so I looked forward to taking my time in tasting it this time.
Tasting notes
Beautiful 14k gold color, clean and clear; first on the nose comes the peat, followed by vanilla bean, whipped cream, white pepper, tropical fruit, and sweet smoked char; the taste reminded me of a lightly peated single malt, I would never guess this also has whisky distilled from Speyside.
That cream on the nose carried through on the mouthfeel, as well as notes of hard butterscotch candy, dark chocolate covered nuts, with a very smooth and lengthy finish.
I feel like including Spey softened any hard edges people feel from a peated whisky. Another good gateway whisky for those not yet getting the allure of peated whisky from Islay. It’s also an amazing bottle, the look of hammered copper metal that will remind you of the hue of the whisky. The vendor at the show remarked how well it presents on the shelf in a bar.
From the website
In Scots, a “Deacon” is an adept and proficient master tradesman. The expert distillers behind our Scotch fit the name perfectly: The Deacon is an homage to master craftspeople, whatever their trade may be…
The Deacon offers a unique blend of single malt scotches from Islay and Speyside. This harmonious blend delivers a complex and flavorful experience, combining the best of both worlds.
The single malts from Islay have a characteristic peaty smoke flavour, and the single malts from the mainland have a bonfire-like smoke character. A nose of charred orange, sweet malty biscuits and woodsmoke gives way to juicy orange on the palate along with delicate spice, and tangy peat. The finish is both sweet and smoky, long and smooth…
Traditional copper pot stills used in our distillation process lend their iconic shine to The Deacon’s stunning bottle, which looks like nothing else on the shelf or back bar, covered in an ornate pattern and stamped with our iconic mascot.
@DeaconWhisky on Instagram
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards since 2022 (submit via https://proofawards.com) Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.
