anCnoc 12 Year Old

For the whisky connosr on a tight budget, the An Cnoc 12 might be just what the doctor ordered.

I'm not on a tight budget, per se, but I'm very far from being "well healed" either. But I'm a whisky nut. It's my hobby right now, and I embrace the magic of the dram. Over the past five years, I've tasted some really top notch drams like a 30-something Brora and a few glasses of Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3.

Yes, over the past few years I've become a bit of a whisky snob, so please forgive me if my review of the An Cnoc 12 is a little less than upbeat.

For another 20 dollars (American) a whisky drinker could buy a bottle of Springbank 10 year, which happens to be one of my favorites right now (2012 bottlings of it, anyhow).

I wasn't blown away by the An Cnoc 12. It's complex, yes, but not necessarily pleasing. In other words, it doesn't "ring my bell," so to speak, whatever the hell that means. . . .

Here are my tasting notes on this complex dram that Ralfystuff liked so much, he gave it an 89 (really, Ralfy?). Then again, Serge at Whisky Fun was not so kind (84).

AN CNOC 12 BASIC TASTING NOTES

Appearance: nice "straw" pale hue tells me this whisky has no artificial color. That's a plus right off.

Nose: Some sharp alcohol bitterness, even at 40%. This said, I will not add water. The palate won't support any more water, IMO. Floral nose with nectarine, green apples, prunes, Queen Anne's lace, living grass, compote. Just a hint of honey, along with model airplane glue (a minus in my book) and some slightly curdled malt.

Mouth: Sweet to bitter: Grass sap, unsweetened caramel, grape nuts (Post co. cereal), anise, hot buttered white wheat toast, pie crust, tart apples.

Finish: Medium length, bitter fruit, grass sap, English muffin (toasted), some bitter alcohol but not much burn. A little in the middle of the tongue.

Without seeing Serge's score last night when I filmed a video review of this whisky, I scored it first an 82, then raised my score to an 84, which happens to be the same as Serge's.

THIS IS MY 99TH REVIEW FOR WHISKY CONNOSR!

Here is my Youtube vid on An Cnoc 12: www.youtube.com/watch

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