ANCNOC KNOCKDHU 1975 (2014) - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

A little over a year ago, I reviewed an earlier version of the AnCnoc 1975, bottled in 2005 - and its was very nice whisky indeed!

Recently, a good whisky friend of mine, provided me with the opportunity to try the 1975 bottled in 2014 which I of course was very happy to do :-)

During the Spirit of Speyside I also toured the distillery for the first time and a visit to the place is highly recommended. Its a smaller distillery, but its run by a group of people who really takes pride in the place and its whisky and it shows! 

As I mentioned in my previous AnCnoc review, call ahead as they're a working distillery and the good folk there will try and fit you in...

Some old tools of the trade at Knockdhu Distillery, May 4th 2015 © The Malt Desk

AnCnoc 1975 (2014) 44,2%, 1590 bottles,  Limited Edition, Distillery bottling

Colour is nutty brown

Nose:
Old lacquered cigar box, obvious oak, but the kind that provides dark honeyed notes. Alcohol soaked plums, overripe oranges and apricot, coffee with milk and lots of sugar, dark chocolate biscuits and old wood. Polished leather in there too and sometimes it seems like there's a little peat in this one?

Taste:
Bitter sweet sherry, hints of ginger, Danish spice cake and then oranges again, but there's also some sweet tropical fruit in here which makes me think of older BenRiach and/or Tomatin, add to that a very thin layer of thin cream caramel coating and a dusting of cocoa and wet tobacco leaves. Again I get the sense of a little peat, especially on the finish...

This is fantastic stuff and I'd take a bottle if it wasn't to damn expensive!

Finally, thanks to Stuart Terris for the sample

91/100!

ANCNOC KNOCKDHU 1975 (2005) - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Knockdhu Distillery or rather AnCnoc as their whisky is called is a distillery on the edge of the Speyside region - actually its in the Highland, east of Speyside and a distillery you'd easily miss when in the area. They're usually not open to the public, but they've, most times, been very forthcoming if you contact them in advance if you want a peek inside.

Their whisky carries a style I like, very 'highland' as my review will also show and usually their bottlings are a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks - so it can't be all bad, can it? ;-)

On to the review...

Knockdhu Distillery, September 27th 2009 © The Malt Desk

AnCnoc 1975 30yo, (bottled xx.09.2005) 50%, Spanish & American oak, Distillery bottling

Colour is light amber

Nose:
Vanilla, cooked fruits, quite some honey and sherry influence, a little mint and very generous with musty earthy notes as well - very 'highland' to me...

Taste:
The dark fruit sherry influence is there again right away, more fruit - mainly citrus lead by oranges and with an very lovely malty edge. Vanilla is in here too along with a slight burnt note and a herbal edge, tea, nutmeg and dash of pepper. Is there a trace of peat in here as well?

Lovely whisky for sure!

88/100!