Knockdhu 30 year old 1990 SMWS 115.17

This weekend I matched up a youthful, punchy 10 year old Cadenhead Knockdhu, with a 30 year old from SMWS. The SMWS refill bourbon barrel had enough liquid to fill 161 bottles, but with only 43.2 points of alcohol left. Did some liquored-up angels feast on this cask, stealing the poison and leaving the water behind? Or did some fight remain in the barrel?

Distillery: Knockdhu
Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Far East Speyside

Bottler: SMWS

Age: 30 years (15 Feb 1990 - 2020)

Maturation: refill bourbon barrel

Cask #: 115.17, "Flower meadows and lemon groves"
Outturn: 161 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 43.2%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Lemons, lemongrass, dried leaves, earth, kiwi candy, and dried rose petals arrive first in the gentle nose. Clementines appear at the 30-minute mark, as do hints of ocean and Sugar Daddy candy. At 45 minutes, it's all apple blossoms and fresh apricots.

The palate is so delicate. White cake with lemon zest and roses. Chocolate donuts and orange peel. Toasty oak, toasty bread, and sweet cherries.

Lots of oranges and Ovaltine in the finish, with some mineral and sweeter notes in the background.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

With such a vivid nose, the whisky surprised me with a palate so fragile that I didn't want to disturb the glass too much. Very pretty stuff, and thankfully not too oaky, this Knockdhu might have been glorious had it been bottled 5-10 years earlier, but I won't carp too much as it's easy drinkin'. Also, kudos to SMWS for a cask name that actually works.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Knockdhu 10 year old 2006 Cadenhead Single Cask

Knockdhu, formerly a DCL distillery but now under the ownership of Inver House, lives east of the similarly named Knockando, on the edge of Speyside. Inver House helped us all keep the two distilleries straight by naming Knockdhu's single malt brand, anCnoc. I've reviewed several official anCnocs but never an independently bottled Knockdhu. And I have two! Two different bottlers, two different casks, and two very different whiskies. I tried them side-by-side this weekend. Here's the first one:

Distillery: Knockdhu
Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Far East Speyside

Bottler: Cadenhead

Age: 10 years (2006 - 2017)

Maturation: bourbon hogshead

Outturn: 252 bottles

Exclusive to: USA
Alcohol by Volume: 56.8%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's all new make on the nose, yeasty spirit just off the still. Nutritional yeast, rock candy, rosewater, and grapefruit ride up front, something farmy dwells in the back. A bit of heat on the palate, and lots of barley, sugar, and salt. Some digestive biscuits and nectarines develop over time. It finishes hot and sugary, with milder tangy and metallic notes.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Not much change on the nose. It's less farmy, with more citrus and cake. Prettier. The palate gets slightly weirder, with fermented fruit-like notes. Plenty of yeast and barley beneath. A single citrus note finishes it off.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This sleepy hoggie imparted not much more than some color. I would have guessed the resulting raw Knockdhu was as close to the 3 year old minimum age as possible. The whisky has its joys, like the vibrant, zippy nose, but I can't imagine how one gets through a whole bottle of this stuff. I adore new make, but I'm not sure I could get past a second pour. It's mostly an educational thing, offering us a chance to get as close to the Knockdhu/anCnoc spirit as possible, without working in the stillroom.

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - around $100?
Rating - 78

anCnoc 24 year old

Knockdhu distillery (home of anCnoc single malt) restarted production in 1989, after a six year closure. Like Arran and their 25yo, Knockdhu rightly stashed away some of those early casks for a future well-aged release. Those casks resulted in the early batches of this 24 year old whisky.

I try to check in on anCnoc single malt every couple of years. The 18yo and Cutter are very good, and the 12yo (43%abv edition) is pretty solid. Their marketing budget seems to be on the lean side and bottle flippers tend to stay away.

With a little bit of research, one can find the 24 year old selling for only 30% more than the 18 year old (in Europe), a price point that harkens back to cheaper days of yore. I had been considering blind-buying the whisky just when Dr. Springbank brought me a sample from his bottle.

Distillery: Knockdhu
Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: border of Speyside and Western Highlands

Age: minimum 24 years
Maturation: sherry casks and bourbon casks
Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? No
(Thank you to Dr. Springbank for the sample!)

NOTES

The nose is heavy on the sherry casks, and I do mean HEAVY. There's some lumber in there with the prunes, dried cherries, chocolate and anise. It develops smaller notes of carob bark, walnuts and pecans with time, gradually getting rootier and earthier. It shifts styles once reduced to 40%abv turning into nuts, toffee and baking spices. That's it, but it's spot on.

The palate has plenty of sherry cask influence, but there's less outright oak than on the nose. More oak spice than pulp. Honey, lime, minerals and a slight pepperiness make up the rest. It gets slightly nuttier and floral at 40%abv.

The finish feels limited to heat, roots and dried berries. Once diluted to 40%abv, it matches the 40%abv palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

In the Taste Off between the anCnoc 24 and Arran 25, the Arran showed better balance and finish, though the anCnoc may have taken dilution better. I'm on the fence about the anCnoc's palate. Part of me enjoyed its restraint, while another part of me wanted something more from it, like more fruit or nuts or earth. Perhaps oxidation would bring something else out. Though it seems like I'm giving it a slagging, the 24yo is a good whisky and fairly priced. It just doesn't rise to must-have levels for me.

Availability - Available at many whisky specialists across Europe, and a few in the US
Pricing - €120-€170 in Europe, $220-$260 in the US

Rating - 84 (when diluted)

anCnoc Cutter 20.5ppm peated single malt

Inspired by last week's curious-but-good peated Caperdonich, I've decided to roll out a pair of peaty non-Islay malts for this week.

Today, it's anCnoc Cutter, a peaty whisky from Knockdhu distillery in Speyside. Like the anCnoc 12 and 18 year olds, this sample comes from (*DISCLOSURE*) a bottle sent to me from Amy of Ten27 Communications. Thank you, Amy.

Cutter is one of the nine NAS peated whiskies anCnoc released in 2014. Yes, nine. Though they lack age statements, eight of the nine whiskies were bottled at 46%abv and listed the peating level on the labels. Peatlands was 9ppm, Rascan 11.1ppm, Rutter 11.5ppm, Barrow 12.5ppm, Flaughter 14.8ppm, Tushkar 15ppm, Stack 20ppm and Cutter 20.5ppm. (I do believe these phenolic measurements are from pre-distillation rather than post.) Barrow was exclusive to the travel retail market, Tuskar was for Sweden, Peatlands and Stack were for continental Europe. The ninth peaty release, Rúdhan didn't have a ppm listing and was also just for travel retail. A few of these, including Rutter, Flaughter and Cutter, are/were available in The States.

Sorry, no bottle pic. The bottle was emptied quickly
at my last event.

Distillery: Knockdhu

Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Type: Single Malt
Region: border of Speyside and Western Highlands

Age: minimum 3 years
Maturation: probably refill American oak casks
Peat level: 20.5ppm
Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? No

NEAT
The color is very light, possibly sub-pinot grigio amber. A good sign. The nose is very medicinal upon impact. There are also racquetballs, burnt plastic and a hint of tar. Some earthy molasses and lemon and lime zest. Really gives the feeling of decomposing veg. The warm palate has a lightly bitter and roasted side to it that reads like black coffee. A mild saltiness and sweetness softens it up. A Thai chile and black peppercorn strike hits late. With its chili pepper sting, tartness and salt, the finish is all hot sauce.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
The nose gets a little quirky. Butter and hard cheese meets farmy peat. Lemons and a hint of florals. A little bit of vanilla-ish candy. The palate keeps its roasted note, though the whole thing is calmer. There's mild salty peat and salted Irish cream butter. Hints of bitterness and whole wheat bread in the finish, though salty peat leads the way.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
One can see why anCnoc stopped at 20.5ppm for their peaty releases because Cutter feels twice as phenolic. It's a nearly nude peated whisky that doesn't feel too spirity or hot. Nor does it smell like mezcal as many other baby peated whiskies do. I like it quite a bit. This bottle also made its way to two whisky events where it was easily emptied by impressed drinkers. I got all of four pours from my (free) bottle and enjoyed them all.

I don't recommend adding water to it because dilution seems to throw it out of whack. So, again, this whisky is only suggested for peatheads, specifically peatheads looking for an Islay alternative. It would be interesting to try some of the 9-to-11ppm anCnocs to find out how they measure up to peated Highlanders like Ardmore and Benromach. Hopefully I can source a few!

Availability - Europe, United States and Japan
Pricing - $55-$80 worldwide
Rating - 86

anCnoc 12 year old (2016, US) versus anCnoc 12 year old (2012, Europe)

anCnoc (aka Knockdhu) has released a number of NAS whiskies in recent years, but they've kept the 12 year old well-stocked and well-priced. Its average US price tag falls in line with Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12 and Old Pulteney 12, and about $8-$10 more than Tomatin 12.

One thing that sets it apart from those other malts is it's neither artificially colored nor chillfiltered. I'm not sure how many low-priced official single malts can claim the same presentation.

I had never tried the anCnoc 12 until (*DISCLOSURE*) Amy from Ten27 Communications sent me a free bottle last year (thank you, Amy). But I did have on hand a European bottling sample I'd purchased from Master of Malt at the very beginning of 2013. Here are the differences between the two:

2016 US Edition - 43%abv, not artificially colored, not chillfiltered
~2012 EUR Edition - 40%abv, colored and chillfiltered

I compared three pours: the 43%, the 43% reduced to 40%, and the 40%...

Grayscale was utilized because my color photo was crap

Distillery: Knockdhu

Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Type: Single Malt
Region: border of Speyside and Western Highlands

Age: minimum 12 years
Maturation: mostly American oak ex-bourbon barrels, and a little bit of Spanish oak ex-sherry casks
Bottling year: 2016 for the US and (circa) 2012 for the EUR
Alcohol by Volume: 43% for US, 40% for EUR

Chill-filtration? No for the US, Yes for the EUR
Caramel colored? No for the US, Yes for the EUR
Review pour of US edition was taken from top third of the bottle.

---

anCnoc 12 year old, 2016 US Edition, 43%abv
Nose - Citronella, honey and Sugar Daddy candy make up the foreground. A considerable nutty Parmesan-Reggiano note lingers throughout. Fresh pears and apples in the background.

Palate - Fruitier than the nose, lots of plums and nectarines. Has a bolder bite and delivery than Glens Fiddich and Livet. With time, it picks up a slight floral thing, then lots of lime and fizziness.

Finish - A little floral, a little toffee, a little ash. Lots of lemon, grapefruit and ginger ale.

* * * * *

anCnoc 12 year old, 2016 US Edition, reduced to 40%abv
Nose - Still with the parmesan. Fruit is pushed further back, but caramel candy comes forward. A little chalky. The citronella slowly comes back together, T1000-style.

Palate - A zesty herbal bitterness arrives quickly. Pretty malty overall. A nice creamy citrus note, too.

Finish - Malty and sweeter, but shorter.

* * * * *

anCnoc 12 year old, 2012 Europe Edition, 40%abv
Nose - Lots of caramel candy upfront. Milk chocolate. Kinda like Milk Duds, I think. With plaster. It gets peachier with time, then some malt and salt show up.

Palate - Thinner texture than the US version, but it has the same fizziness. And, curiously, more heat. Quicker, tarter fruit. Caramel candy. And LOTS of bitter hoppy IPA.

Finish - An IPA with more heat. So much grapefruit and hops. Hints of dried grass and milk chocolate.

---

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Compared to the aforementioned decently-priced 12 year old single malts, I'd put this slightly ahead of Glenfiddich 12 and Tomatin 12, and waaaaaaaay ahead of Glenlivet 12. While it's a casual drinker, anCnoc 12 does have some nice crisp fruit and a good challenging edge to it. Old Pulteney 12, while being a much different whisky, has bold lines and noticeable unique (distillery?) traits as the anCnoc 12 does. So they'd rank somewhere around the same level, in my opinion. Neither whisky will move you, emotionally, but each deliver a little something above average.

Now that references the US edition only. The 2012 European edition is okay, a totally acceptable whisky, but more than that. I don't know its difference is due to dilution or filtering or coloring. The edgy IPA character keeps it from falling into the 70s grade-wise.

The US edition still wins out when it's diluted to 40%abv, and feels like it could take a little more water too. I might experiment with that further. If anything new is discovered, I'll provide updates in the comment section.

Overall, anCnoc's 18yo is a superior whisky, but if you're in the US and can find this 12yo for less than $40, it's a reasonable drink for the dollar.

2016 US edition
Availability - US only
Pricing - $35-$60, average in the mid- to high-40s
Rating - 84

~2012 Europe edition
Availability - Europe only
Pricing - $30-$50, average in the mid-30s
Rating - 80

Single Malt Report: anCnoc 18 year old (2016)

There are a pair of Scottish distilleries called Knockando and Knockdhu. Both were built in the 1890s. Both have been owned by the companies that later became Diageo. Both have Gaelic names that refer to 'the dark hillock'. Though I've reviewed a number of Knockandos, today's review marks my first for a single malt from Knockdhu.

Knockdhu was built by DCL in 1893, a century before the company became part of Diageo. After 89 years of production, the distillery was amongst those closed in 1983. In 1988 the distillery became one of the very few to be sold off, rather than destroyed, by DCL. The new owners, Inver House Distillers restarted production in 1989. In 1990 they released a Knockdhu single malt that had been distilled by DCL. In 1993, they changed the name of their single malt brand to anCnoc "following a gentleman's agreement ... in order to avoid any possible confusion with Knockando," as per Charlie MacLean's Whiskypedia.

anCnoc ('a hill', pronounced a-nock) has been putting out well-received (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, etc.) whiskies for a number of years now, but really hasn't garnered any sexy cachet amongst whisky fans in the process. And I can be counted amongst that number. As of four weeks ago, I had never tried one of their US bottlings.

[DISCLOSURE: Today's bottle was sent to me by Amy from Ten27 Communications, a PR firm for InterBev, AnCnoc's parent company. Thank you, Amy.]

Distillery: Knockdhu

Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Type: Single Malt
Region: border of Speyside and Western Highlands

Age: minimum 18 years
Maturation: "Spanish oak ex-sherry casks and American oak ex-bourbon barrels"
Bottling year: 2016
Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? No
Review taken from just above mid-bottle.

NEAT
Its color is a medium gold. The nose begins with a toasty, spicy fruitiness that I imagine comes from the Spanish oak. There are orange peels and honeydew. Toffee and fudge. Candied ginger and cherry lollipops. A hint of vanilla gives it a little bit of shortbread note too. A dusty maltiness lingers in the back. More straight up sherry in the palate, though never prune-y or raisin-ed. Toffee, citrus peels and mint. It has a mineral edge to it and solid herbal presence that almost feels peaty. A spicy white pepper note mingles with some thick malt. It finishes sweetly and full of citrus. Woody spices, candy corn and Nutella.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
Thought the liquid doesn't cloud, it does get very oily. The nose is minty and chocolatey. Cherry candy, caramel and some musty cask notes. The palate gets creamier, fragrant. It's simple, but sturdy and spicy. Citrus and nuts. The finish picks up some pepper and earth, and quite a bit of tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is a very solid, textured malt, with a more interesting European oak angle than most sherried (and much more expensive) 18 year olds. It won't knock (hee) you off your seat, but it's very reliable and tasty. As a totally random comparison, it reminds me more of Arran 14 than Arran 18, which is a good thing because the 14 is my favorite of Arran's range.

The first few pours from the bottle were a bit tight, as I've found with most whiskies. But right here at the bottle's midpoint, it has opened up well. The finish gets too sugary for me at times, but I don't have much of a sweet tooth. On the other hand the whisky swims pretty well, which may be partly due to its good presentation. And that good presentation (46%abv, no chill filtration nor added colorant) demonstrates a company's respect of its products and its customers. I'm glad InterBev understands that. It's too bad that most of the other conglomerates do not.

Availability - Many spirits specialists in the US and Europe
Pricing - $90-$120, can also be had for less than $100 in a European shipment
Rating - 87