anCnoc 12 Year Old

AnCnoc 12 is the taped-glasses, pocket-protector nerd from your school days. On one hand, it’s too weak to combat even the tamest of adversaries. It got into a fight with my Glenfiddich 12 the other day, but the anCnoc just wasn’t strong enough to defend itself. When approached with care and understanding, however, the aC12 reveals its intellect and five-dollar-word vocabulary.

If you’re not in the mood for serious study and tasting notes, it’s a fine easy sipper for a summer’s day. Or, if you’re in the mood for serious study and tasting notes, it offers a rewarding treasure hunt. But a casual, in-between approach—say, a sniff and a sip every few minutes (the way I usually drink when I’m not writing one of my lousy reviews)—won’t elicit much more than a meh. Because it’s feather-light but packed with hidden flavors, you have to approach this one with either complete disinterest or the intensity of Sheldon Cooper searching for the Higgs-Boson.

Tasting notes based on my fifth or sixth dram from a bottle opened in December:

Nose: Apples, but with a boozy bite, as in Jersey Lightening or applejack. Also plenty of flowers, honey, vanilla, malt, a healthy dash of pepper, and some sourdough bread. Too bad the moderation on the palate doesn’t live up to the intensity promised by the nose.

Palate: Not much at first but hard, mineral-y tap water with a few sprinkles of sugar. Very disappointing arrival, but it gets more interesting as it develops. Reminds me a bit of Hawaiian pizza with cheese, tomato sauce, and pineapple. Some typical Scotch flavors as well: malt, vanilla, caramel, and plenty of oak. There’s also sour citrus, apples, sweet cream, and pepper. An odd combination overall, yet everything is so light and subtle that nothing overwhelms to throw off the balance. I like the taste, but it’s so subdued that it took two drams and several long sips before I could pick out all the flavors.

Strengths and weaknesses in the finish combine for a mediocre final act. It’s not particularly long, it’s much too grassy and oaky, and a final note of chalkiness is an abrupt neutralizer. On the upside, most of the aforementioned sweet notes return for a quick curtain call and well-earned applause.

I’ve never had a truly bad encounter with anCnoc 12, and there have been a couple of times when it’s come close to a wow experience. Previous tastings ranged from 79 (a C-plus) to 89 (a B-plus), so we’ll split the difference and give it a solid grade of B at 85. You may find it underwhelming, or you may be rewarded if you put some work into it.

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