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Knockdhu
(An Cnoc) distillery is located in the
village of Knock on the edge of Speyside and was founded in
1894 by John
Morrison who bought the Knock Estate and commissioned The
Distillers Co. of Edinburgh to construct a distillery on Knock
Farm. The water source for the distillery stems from the springs
on the nearby Knock Hill, known locally as An Cnoc, which
translates from Gaelic as 'Black Hill' and is named thus due to
the heather and vegetation of the hill appearing black thanks to
natural shadows.
Knockdhu was closed for a couple of years in 1931 due to the
economic depression and then again from 1940 to 1945, but the
underwent a period modernisation after reopening, only to be
closed by the owners SMD in 1983.
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The
distillery was purchased by Inver House Distillers in 1988
and was indeed their first distillery purchase and production
commenced on 6th February 1989.
It seems
that the owners have changed their official labelling
between using "Knockdhu" and "An Cnoc"
quite frequently in the last 15 to 20 years, with the current
preference being An Cnoc, I assume to avoid confusion with the
nearby Knockando distillery.
Standard releases include 12y & 16y editions, plus an annual 'vintage'
which declares the year of distillation. As I write this the
latest one has just been released; 1995-2010.
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An Cnoc
General whisky characteristics: Light, complex, floral,
perfumed.
(Standard
Expressions) |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Clear,
like water
Nose:
Initially malt and extremely floral, but after a
couple of minutes is that the tiniest hint of smoke I detect?
Palate:
The floral elements from the nose continue on the
palate, but are joined by a suggestion of raspberry.
Finish: Long
and fruity.
Overall Impression:
I love
that floral raspberry, excellent!
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An Cnoc,
12y,
40% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light honey
Nose:
A
bouquet of fresh malt, straw and liquorice floating on a rich
tea biscuit in a swimming pool.
Palate:
A
quick burst of smooth red berries, fading to honey and malt,
then lingering on the palate with a spicy finish.
Finish:
Spicy and medium
Overall Impression:
This
is a good light whisky, an enjoyable every day dram and good
value for money, just not spectacular.
A second tasting in February 2011
Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light honey / pale gold
Nose: Floral
malt, slightly herbal, fresh and quite sweet.
Palate:
Floral grasses, honey and some hints of (red) berries.
Finish: Long
and fruity with floral grasses.
Overall
Impression: Plenty of floral grasses and berries with a
trace of honey make for a good, solid standard malt. One for an
aperitif or sunny Spring evening on the patio.
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An Cnoc,
16y,
46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Pale
straw
Nose:
Perfumed honey, biscuit and butterscotch with some faint apricot
developing after a few minutes.
Palate:
Smooth
and creamy mouth-feel with an initial burst of mild liquorice
root and apricot. This is followed by more fruit, including
peach, but overlaid with mild creamy toffee.
Finish:
Medium
to long.
Overall Impression:
Lots
happening here with fruit and toffee, a very nice whisky.
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An Cnoc,
16y,
46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle;
Reviewed (blind) as
part of MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Very
pale
Nose:
Starts
with almost nothing, just a light freshness, but it does
steadily expand with time to include some nice floral notes,
then what I can only describe as lightly perfumed biscuit. Is
there a suggestion of honey in there too? Maybe.
Palate:
A more
vibrant palate offers light flora, honey, biscuit and the
freshness of a spring-time Alpine meadow. Finally there's also a
hint of slightly peppery peach.
Finish: Medium
to long.
Overall Impression:
A
little subdued on the nose but much more vibrant on the palate.
A good anytime or even aperitif whisky.
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Annual
Vintages
(there was, I am informed, no
1992 bottled) |
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An Cnoc,
1991,
released 2006, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
Light floral liquorice coated in barley.
Palate:
Initially smooth and creamy but the smoothness
opens very quickly into a spiciness which fades relatively
quickly. The flavours are pretty much akin to the nose with a
slightly floral liquorice lingering quite long.
Overall Impression:
I do like An Cnoc |
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An Cnoc,
1993,
released 2008, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Nose:
Just like walking into a gift shop filled with
perfumes and scented soaps.
Palate:
Lots of perfumed scents
including
some violet and
lavender caressing the palate with a spicy tingle.
Overall Impression:
I am a fan of An Cnoc and this just helps me to like them even
more. |
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An Cnoc,
1994,
released 2009, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour;
Sunshine and honey
Nose:
Very
aromatic, floral hay, grasses and honey
Palate:
Very
smooth honey with grass and hay are transported directly from
the nose to the palate.
With 3 drops of
water; The palate becomes more creamy in texture, but
sharper in taste.
Finish; Long
with honey and just the slightest hint of salt.
Overall Impression:
I do still
like An Cnoc and this is a jolly good vintage which I would
place as better than the 1991, but just not quite on the level
of the '93 which was outstanding. But this is still a 'must buy'
for those who like light, floral whiskies.
Whisky & Chocolate:
Sarotti No.1, 72%
cacao with orange Combination:
As the previous two attempts to pair this
chocolate with whisky weren't so successful tonight, I decided
to try a much lighter and more fragrant whisky and what a
difference it makes. The light floral hay and grassy notes of
the An Cnoc, along with the honey are nicely enhanced with the
bitterness and hints of orange in the chocolate to give an extra
depth of flavour to the palate and another dimension to the
finish. A decent combination.
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An Cnoc,
1995,
released 2010, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Rich
(21ct) gold
Nose:
Immediately
intense with butterscotch, honey, a hint of candy floss and very
aromatic light wood. This is a light and complex nose, but at
the same time a true 'in your face' one which constantly
suggests something special to come.
Palate:
Smooth and creamy butterscotch which gradually expands across
the palate with a delightful peppery toffee. It also exhibits
malt and honey with a tingle right in the middle of the tongue,
whilst making the sides of mouth water with pleasure.
With 3 drops of
water:
This is already
very good and I just don't wish to add water tonight, maybe next
time.
Finish:
Long with plenty of butterscotch and toffee.
Overall Impression:
Make no mistake,
this is a very good whisky, but it certainly took me by
surprise. Why? My previous An Cnoc vintages have been much more
aromatic, sweet and floral than this one. This has slightly
richer flavours with butterscotch and toffee replacing herbs and
other flora. Is this a bad thing? Certainly not, it's just a
little different, a little richer and I love it! |
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An Cnoc,
1996,
released 2011, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light yellow
(9ct) gold
Nose:
An
initial explosion of hay and grasses is followed by a
development of wood and a suggestion of dried fruits.
Palate:
Creamy
mouth-feel with some pepper, red berries and light toffee. Green
apple then appears to lead into the finish.
Finish:
Long with a hint of green apple.
Overall Impression:
Again
different to previous vintages, especially with that green apple.
A nice whisky. |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Rich oak
Nose:
Delightfully rich aromas of an olde worlde sweet shop, very
aromatic.
Palate:
Floral, but with plenty of light toffee, hints of oak and just
the faintest suggestion of smoke.
Finish:
Very long.
Overall Impression:
Amazing, now
this is special!
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During a recent
distillery trip with Inver House, Gordon Bruce, the distillery
manager treated us to a cask sample which suddenly appeared from
his office cupboard and wha ta sample it was, distilled in 1975
and currently 35 years of age, Slΰinte Gordon!
Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Rich gold,
amber
Nose:
Exotic summer
fruits with apricot, mango and papaya over very civilised aged
oak and a touch of Alpine flora.
Palate:
Gentle cream with a tingle of green peppercorns right at the
front of the palate, followed closely by nuts, toffee and those
fruits from the nose.
Finish:
Everlasting!
Overall Impression:
This gets very
close to my all-time Top 10 whiskies, please bottle it and
employ me for QA on each bottle!
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Glass: Glencairn
Colour:
Very light gold
Nose:
Extremely aromatic herbs, gently sweet.
Palate:
Initially creamy and smooth, then acquiring a little tingly
pepper with malt and aromatic biscuit.
Finish: Long, floral,
biscuit.
Overall Impression:
A most enjoyable
and rather special dram.
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Knockdhu
General whisky characteristics: Light, slightly floral,
quite fresh. |
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Knockdhu,
12y,
43% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light gold
Nose:
Slightly perfumed, fresh and floral malt.
Palate:
An
initial burst of floral coconut soon fades to leave a rather
fresh and clean feeling across the palate.
Finish:
Short to medium, but it does repeat a little.
Overall Impression:
A good everyday
malt with a tendency to slightly floral freshness. Definitely
aperitif. |
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Some extra
distillery photos |
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Kind permission by
Teimei Horiuchi |
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