Knockdhu Whisky

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  An Cnoc 18 years old Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%

  Item no.: 22227865470-100123

  The distillery is called Knockdhu. The whisky is called anCnoc. The reason is mundane, another distillery had a name too close to it, but the upshot is that one of the Highlands most quietly capable distilleries has spent decades living under a borrowed name.

  The Expert's Description

  anCnoc 18 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in second fill Oloroso sherry casks and second fill bourbon casks, bottled at 46%. That both cask types are second fill is a deliberate choice: the wood gives less, but it gives it more slowly, and over 18 years the result is balanced rather than forceful.

  The spirit from Knockdhu is bright, floral and lightly waxy, a style easily drowned by aggressive casks. Using second fill wood leaves room for the distillate's own character throughout the maturation. That is why the 18 year old does not taste markedly darker than the 12, it tastes deeper.

  Knockdhu was founded in 1894 by John Morrison, who had bought the Knock Estate from the Duke of Fife two years earlier. The distillery stands near Knock Hill in Banffshire and is officially in the Highland region, though it is often mislabelled as a Speyside. It closed in 1983, was bought by Inver House Distillers in 1988, and production resumed in February 1989.

  Tasting Notes

  Nose

  Honey, lemon peel and pale flowers first, very much the house signature. Behind them a light waxy note, candied orange and a trace of dried apricot from the sherry wood. Clean and precise with nothing heavy about it.

  Palate

  Soft opening with honey and malt, then spice and a drier orange note. There is a fine waxy texture carrying the flavour well, and the 46% gives body without taking over. The sherry sits underneath as depth rather than as fruit.

  Finish

  Long and clean. Honey, dried fruit and a lightly spiced oak dryness that lets go slowly with no bitterness.

  Specifications

  Name: anCnoc 18 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
  Distillery: Knockdhu
  Bottler: Inver House Distillers
  Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
  Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
  Age: 18 years
  ABV: 46%
  Size: 70 CL
  Cask type: Second fill Oloroso sherry casks and second fill bourbon casks
  EAN no.: 5010509880039

  Flavour Profile

  Honeyed · Floral · Fruity · Waxy · Spiced · Sherry Matured

  Did You Know?

  The argument over the name concerned Knockando, a Speyside distillery owned by a far larger group. The two names were close enough that Knockdhu had to find an alternative, and from 1993 the whisky was sold as anCnoc, Gaelic for the hill. Independent bottlers, however, still happily use the original name on their labels.

  See our full range of anCnoc

  • 1pcs.
    147,25EUR
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  AnCnoc 12 years old An Cnoc Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 40%

  Item no.: 22227865470-22

  Some whiskies want to impress. This one just wants to be good company. Bright, honeyed and without a single hard edge, the kind of bottle you open on a Wednesday evening without feeling you have used something up.

  The Expert's Description

  anCnoc 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% from the Knockdhu distillery in Banffshire. It is the house core expression and the best place to meet the spirit: bright, floral and with a light waxy texture that is the distillery’s clearest signature.

  Knockdhu works with a clean, pale spirit, and that puts demands on the casks. Let them get too active and the house style disappears. The 12 year old is therefore built to keep the distillate up front, with the wood as a frame rather than a lead role. The result is often described as a dessert malt, sweet without turning syrupy.

  The distillery was built in 1894 by John Morrison near Knock Hill, where barley, spring water and peat were all within reach. It closed in 1983, was taken over by Inver House Distillers in 1988, and since 1993 the whisky has been sold under the anCnoc name.

  Tasting Notes

  Nose

  Soft and aromatic. Honey and lemon set the tone, with pale flowers and a touch of green apple behind. A fine malty floor runs underneath it all, close to white bread.

  Palate

  Sweet to begin with honey, vanilla and ripe pear. Then a lightly spiced note arrives along with that characteristic waxiness, which lends more body than 40% would promise. Clean and straightforward the whole way, with no bitterness.

  Finish

  Short to medium. Honey and malt linger, with a dry citrus note at the close. It disappears neatly.

  Specifications

  Name: anCnoc 12 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
  Distillery: Knockdhu
  Bottler: Inver House Distillers
  Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
  Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
  Age: 12 years
  ABV: 40%
  Size: 70 CL
  EAN no.: 5010509427067

  Flavour Profile

  Honeyed · Floral · Fruity · Soft · Malty · Light

  Did You Know?

  Knockdhu was the first distillery Distillers Company Limited ever built from scratch. It was completed in 1894 and so formed part of the great whisky boom of the late nineteenth century, a boom that collapsed a few years later. The distillery survived, though it later closed in 1983 and stood silent for six years before Inver House got it running again.

  See our full range of anCnoc

  • 1pcs.
    60,25EUR