anCnoc 16 Year Old

The anCnoc brand of Scotch whisky is the product of the Kockdhu distillery, so called to avoid confusion with whisky produced by the Knockando distillery. Situated in the highlands (near Huntley, in Aberdeenshire), Inver House bought the distillery in 1988, five years after it had been mothballed by United Distillers, and resumed production in 1989. The range consists of a 12 year-old (reviewed here: connosr.com/reviews/an-cnoc/…) and a 16 year-old (reviewed below), as well as the occasional vintage release.

The anCnoc 16 year-old is light and refreshing. On the nose, there are wisps of smoke, tangy lemon, figs, and a touch of sweat. More fleeting notes of vanilla, mild detergent, lavender, and marzipan appear periodically. It is sweet and fruity, though not quite as forwardly so as the 12 year-old.

The palate will be familiar to those having tasted the 12 year-old. It has lemon, vanilla, and a bit of mellon, but it is drier than the 12 year-old, with a slightly bitter, vegetal finish reminiscent of lettuce.

This is a nice whisky, but I prefer its younger sibling. Though it has its finer points, it admittedly misses the generous consistency of the 12 year-old.

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