The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and already, many forms of ushering in the Year Of The Horse have manifested themselves. One such take on this particular Chinese zodiac sign belongs to the Deanston Virgin Oak Chinese New Year 2026 limited packaging.

The aesthetics are interesting in their own right, but when it comes to whisky—at least for the Esquire Malaysia—team, it’s the inside that matters. And on that front, Deanston does not disappoint.

We’ll be covering some of the other Deantson’s selections in its roster, but first, we start with the Virgin Oak expression, which is a good introduction to the brand.

Yes, this brand hails from the Highland region of Scotland, and yes, it is a locale diverse in flavour profiles, but if you were to nail down the tasting notes of the Virgin Oak, you will find it as such.

On the nose, you get fruity notes such as lemon zest, apple, and nutmeg. And you get a bit of a whiff of the Virgin American Oak barrels that were used to finish this whisky.

Then we get to the palate, where the signature waxy feel of the brand comes through. It’s more of a mouthfeel than flavour, though, as when it comes to taste itself, you get notes of vanilla and honey, which makes it a rather sweet dram.

The finish is light, too, which befits its pleasant and sweet profile. Liquorice comes to mind here. It’s not the type of drink to linger, which invites more sips, and that can be a double-edged sword, depending on who the drinker is.

For the purists, the Virgin Oak is non-chill filtered and non-coloured, and is bottled at 46.3% ABV, which few other distilleries offer, especially at such an accessible price point.

The thing is, while Deanston is known for its waxy feel, it is not the only attribute that the brand has to offer. One expression that steps outside the typical whisky offerings lies in its 15 Year Old Tequila Cask Finish which, as its name suggests, provides the agave aromas and tastes you would expect from such an expression.

You’ll either love it or hate it, since fans of whisky expect a certain taste from their drink of choice, but it’s good to have a different experience every once in a while. This tequila-based variety would make for a good separator between drams, almost like how coffee beans work as an aromatic reset between scents.

But the 52.5% ABV is nothing to scoff at, at least on paper. On the palate and finish, it feels almost mild, maybe because of the fruitiness that comes from the tequila finish that tricks your mind into thinking this is not a higher ABV amount than average.

If you want to go even higher, there is the Deanston Virgin Oak Cask Strength offering, which is 58.5% and leaves a long, enjoyable finish, but that’s a story for another day. Until then, it’s good to know that Deanston covers many bases when it comes to Scotch, limited edition packaging aside.