anCnoc 12 Year Old

anCnoc single malt is produced at the Knockdhu ("black hill" in Gaelic) distillery in Huntly in Aberdeenshire. The distillery was founded in 1893 by DCL (Distillers Company Limited), and production started in 1894. Shortly after the distillery had been taken over by SMD (Scottish Malt Distillers) in 1930, it was closed but production resumed in 1933. During the Second World War Knockdhu was closed again and served to house troops from India. While whisky production resumed after the war, the distillery was closed one more time when United Distillers (the owners at the time) decided to stop production after the economic crisis of the early 1980s had hit Scotland. In 1988 Inver House bought Knockdhu distillery from United Distillers and restarted production at the beginning of 1989. The distillery changed ownership again in 2001 when Inver House were acquired by Pacific Spirits, a subsidiary of Thailand-based Great Oriole Group – who in 2006 sold Pacific Spirits including Knockdhu distillery to International Beverage Holdings, the international arm of ThaiBev, Thailand's largest beverage company (they are the current owners). Over the years the proprietors of the distillery switched a number of times between 'An Cnoc' ("the hill" in Gaelic) and 'Knockdhu'. The last change happened in 2003 when that name changed back to 'An Cnoc' from 'Knockdhu'. The current 12-year old version was introduced in 2003 and belongs to the distillery's core range.

The nose starts with a soft maltiness that is immediately followed by a load of lemon flavours. Later on there is vanilla, dough, breakfast cereal, and honey. What a lovely nose – very clean and fresh!

The palate is light-bodied and just a tad spicy. Flavours of lemon and vanilla are at the forefront, together with a light beer-like maltiness, followed by a hint of coffee. Overall very well balanced and a joy to sample.

The finish is of medium length and pleasantly warming. Soft wood spice mingles with notes of honey and cereal.

This was my first anCnoc bottle ever, bought at the insistence of a fellow malt maniac, and I must say that my modest expectations were massively exceeded. This might be an entry level single malt but one that is clean, fresh, and very well balanced. Probably a bit underrated and just perfect for the current hot summer weather. I now look forward to tasting the 16-year and 18-year old expressions.

A very pleasant light floral speyside malt. Quality whisky of this type and scores highly, but not something to get too excited about.

Nose: White wine, golden syrup, honey and vanilla Taste: Quite full bodied despite the lightness, like single cream. Sweetness dominates with floral hints and citrus. Finish: More bitterness towards the finish and dryer, citrus lingers with a touch of sweet white wine at that, sauternes perhaps.

An Cnoc has its fair share of lovers and haters. I’m neither, but I can say that the 12 yr old in particular is very, very interesting. When I say that a malt is interesting, that’s usually a compliment. But I’m not entirely sure if that’s the case here. Rarely does reviewing a whisky have me so confused. I really don’t know what to make of this stuff. At all. Here are my notes:

Nose: Medium honey, barley, vanilla, grass, apples, apple cider, pastry crust, gummie peach candy, and some distant smoke. Occasionally I’ll even get a whiff of curry or mustard thrown in. Bright, pleasant, and interesting.

Palate: Very watery mouthfeel. I get some banana cream, honey, pecan, grass, Frosted Flakes, milk, and apple vinegar. These build up to a crescendo of Indian spices. Think cumin, curry, and mustard.

Finish: Curdled milk, hay, smoke, wasabi root, mustard, woodspice, oak, cornmeal, Frosted Flakes, buttered crumpets, and sponge cake.

This was a tough review. I’m almost through my bottle and I’m still not sure I “get it.” At the right time this can be a brilliant whisky which delights you with obscure flavours and fiery crescendos. At the wrong time it can be a thin, diluted, unstable disappointment. Without water the flavours are less crisp or forward. However, when added, water does no favours to the already thin mouthfeel. Yup… this whisky is a weirdo. From the strange flavours to the abrupt transition between watery and spicy, this one always leaves me a bit puzzled. It’s a challenging, elusive, unstable, enigmatic weirdo that has me scratching my head. Oddly enough, that is precisely why it’s loads of fun to drink. It gets points for keeping it interesting. HOWEVER… I’m still genuinely not sure if I even like this stuff.

Nose: Champagne, apple cider, demerara sugar, mild smell of earthy smoke and sooty brickstone, butterscotch and sweet lemon rounds it off.. Pleasant nose

Palate: Smoky and and some pointy slightly vinegary fruit notes is the main theme, altogether though its abit watery and medium to weak output of flavours.. Reminds me of a watered down glenlivet nadurra with more smoke..

Finish: Mild smoky finish with hint of anise, tiny citrus hints and faint butterscotch.. Medium length

Gentle and balanced, its just not exiting enough for me, I need more liveliness and/or unique complexity. Decent, but there are other cheap 40%ers id rather drink as a “daily dram” For example Laphroaig 10, Famous Grouse 12yo Gold Reserve, Tullamore Dew 12yo Special Reserve, they are not similar in style though, too anCnoc 12 or each other ;).. Also become fond of cheap grappas lately, they pack good amount of flavors and complexity, espresso and grappa is a recommended combo for big flavour guys!!.. :)

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

I reviewed this malt about four months ago - here is a re-post of my original review - I would not change my current assessment of this one iota:

"My friend Rick Culver came by earlier today, and popped open a 1997 Aultmore, 12 years old, bottled by G&M for their Connoisseurs Choice label (refill sherry casks, 43% ABV) Very nice, and I commented that it was an elegant choice for this hot summer day today. After he left, I thought hmmmm...what other malt be right for this lovely afternoon?

Look in vain for the anCnoc Distillery - it doesn't exist, and never has. This is one of the few single malts that has a totally different name than its distillery (in this case, Knockdhu, who did not want any confusion between it and Knockando, another Speysider). It has only two stills, wooden washbacks, stone-built dunnage warehouses and still uses worm tub condensers - little has changed since it opened in October 1894. In fact, it was the first distillery built by DCL (later known as Diageo), who then closed it in 1983. Six years later it was re-opened by Inver House, who didn't change a thing. Thank God.

The colour is a bright pale gold. The nose is bright as well, fresh and fruity, with honey, lemon citrus and baskets of barley sugar. Some cocoa as well, and a little briny. Sweet and refreshing, perfect on a hot summers day like today. Water seems to add an almost peaty element to it!

On the palate, more honey with a creamy mouthfeel - this has some body to it. The vanilla and citrus is very much in keeping with the nose, absolutely delicious. A little brighter with water, believe it or not - and spicier.

The finish is long and lingering, and a little spicier than you would think. This has a wonderful balance between having some serious body to it (perhaps thanks to the old-fashioned worm tubs) while retaining that light and fruity Speyside character. Beautifully done - this would make a much better single malt introduction for the novice, than the usual Glens. If you are interested, Jim Murray scores this a 94.5."

This is a wonderful Highland Single Malt that is ruined by one of the dryest finishes that I have ever come across. As one famous Cajun chef once said something like "Good food will make you want to take another bite". Well, a good single malt will make you want to take another drink. In the case of An Cnoc 12, all I want after a dram of this is lots of ice water (which is probably a good thing).

As for the nose and taste of it that makes it so wonderful, imagine a slightly less fruity Clynelish 14 with just a hint of smoke. I also notice a bit of Lowland grassy taste. For those of you who hate heavily sherried malts or peat monsters, this may be just right for you. The dry finish will also make sure that it lasts a long time.

These reviews led me to try a bottle, since no bar in my area has any for sampling. I don't regret buying it, especially at only $31 US, but I won't be buying another bottle.

My friend Rick Culver came by earlier today, and popped open a 1997 Aultmore, 12 years old, bottled by G&M for their Connoisseurs Choice label (refill sherry casks, 43% ABV) Very nice, and I commented that it was an elegant choice for this hot summer day today. After he left, I thought hmmmm...what other malt be right for this lovely afternoon?

Look in vain for the anCnoc Distillery - it doesn't exist, and never has. This is one of the few single malts that has a totally different name than its distillery (in this case, Knockdhu, who did not want any confusion between it and Knockando, another Speysider). It has only two stills, wooden washbacks, stone-built dunnage warehouses and still uses worm tub condensers - little has changed since it opened in October 1894. In fact, it was the first distillery built by DCL (later known as Diageo), who then closed it in 1983. Six years later it was re-opened by Inver House, who didn't change a thing. Thank God.

The colour is a bright pale gold. The nose is bright as well, fresh and fruity, with honey, lemon citrus and baskets of barley sugar. Some cocoa as well, and a little briny. Sweet and refreshing, perfect on a hot summers day like today. Water seems to add an almost peaty element to it!

On the palate, more honey with a creamy mouthfeel - this has some body to it. The vanilla and citrus is very much in keeping with the nose, absolutely delicious. A little brighter with water, believe it or not - and spicier.

The finish is long and lingering, and a little spicier than you would think. This has a wonderful balance between having some serious body to it (perhaps thanks to the old-fashioned worm tubs) while retaining that light and fruity Speyside character. Beautifully done - this would make a much better single malt introduction for the novice, than the usual Glens. If you are interested, Jim Murray scores this a 94.5.

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.

I had heard good things about An Cnoc 12 from couple of my whisky buddies here in Finland. For me it didn't light any sparkles, it wasn't bad either but in my opinion, it felt a bit too flat-lined throughout the tasting. It was easy to drink and it balanced nicely between sweet and spicy notes.

An Cnoc 12 year old should easily fit into a nice summer evening with friends. It's a light romantic comedy such as (500) Days of Summer, without the complexity though. The 500 days aren't there in An Cnoc's favor. They're there because An Cnoc 12 was too common (not that the movie was...).

Nose: Nice aromas, freshly floral with citrus. Sweet hints of honey influence on the background. Definitely the past part of An Cnoc 12.

Taste: Sweet and every taste is subtle. Spices and herbs with some chocolate. For me it was very hard to spot different flavors.

Finish: Length is nice but the finish felt a bit dull. Oak and barley mostly stand out.

Balance: Everything was in a nice balance in this medium bodied dram. For my taste it was maybe too flat with nothing pointing out so well. All in all, a decent whisky.

very smooth and fruity... not peaty but a complex malt... long finish but not at all bitter... not bad for everyday drinking with friends or even during special occasions... surprisingly cheap for a quality bottle...

Nose: Right off the top I get a strong presence of tart apple--granny smith apple, or apple jolly rancher. Then, green grapes and honeyed lemon/lime.

Taste: On the tongue the first arrivals is that of creamy honeyed barley for just a quick moment, then the zesty fruits start coming out --with the exception of the apple, surprisingly. The malty tastes come back as you swallow, more subtly than the arrival and with a bit of pepper now. Very smooth.

Water rounds out the zesty flavours, much better kept neat.

Finish: For a light whisky this has a longer and more complex finish than you'd expect. The malty notes return as the fruitiness fades, evolving with pepper to vanilla oak then stewed camomile tea with honey.

Summary: This whisky is currently my first choice if I'm looking for a change of pace from the smoky, peaty varieties that I generally tend to gravitate more towards. An excellent value for the price too!

Sampled without water in a Glencairn glass. Good strong but slim legs (think Steffi Graf).

Colour : Straw

Nose: An initial peppery smell with a faint orangeness in the background. Quite rich and pungent.

Taste: A curious mixture of sweet and spicy. Imagine vanilla ice cream with a pinch of black pepper mixed into it with a thin coating of orange sauce resting on the top. Quite complex with one or two tastes which my inexperienced palate cannot identify sadly. Very pleasant indeed.

Finish: Not overly long but well rounded and makes your tongue throb slightly but not in an unpleasant,too much alcohol type of way. The pepper and orange mixture lingers on to the very end.

When I first tasted this dram a while ago I wasn’t overly impressed. But having re-visited it several times it has definitely grown on me. I originally scored it at 75 but have since increased that considerably. When the bottle is finished, which won’t be too far in the future, I will no doubt replace it immediately and it should become a definite fixture in my cabinet.

Whilst I agree that what’s inside the bottle is the important thing, I must say that I find the bottles labelling and packaging very none descript and drab. Whilst many will appreciate the white with black lettering simplicity, I feel it makes the whisky resemble a supermarkets own brand and it looks more like a Sainsbury’s single malt or Tesco finest scotch whisky type of affair, which it definitely is not. Superfluous maybe but who cares? I used to be indecisive but now I’m not so sure. :) Cheers.

This is one of the first Whisky's I tasted.

Nose: Nice fresh floral smell. Light light sweetness. Maybe a hint of lemon.

Taste: A touch of smoke. Then leads to honey dew and pear sweetness.

Finish: Dry and short finish

anCnoc, the rebranded Knockdhu, is the fruit of the Knockdhu distillery in Speyside. Under the patronage of Inver House, the distillery’s current owner, anCnoc has released two aged expressions—at 12 and 16 years of age—and several vintage expressions as well.

On the nose, anCnoc 12 year-old is creamy, rich, and bright with vanilla, butterscotch, and honey. It is a veritable fruit salad of lemon, orange, fig, and apple, yet with a subtle yeastiness, the combination of which is reminiscent of panettone.

The palate is light and sweet. It is biscuity and zesty, with more fruit notes, especially of cantaloupe, lemon, pear. In all, anCnoc 12 year-old is absolutely charming.

olour: Pale gold

Nose: Crisp,light with vanilla, honey and some citrus notes (lemon rind). some grass. Light and crisp, that would best describe it.

Palate: Fruity, mostly sultanas, sweeter than the nose suggests with the lemon less evident. cereals, and pear Schnapps too.

Finish : fruity, some metal notes (brass), quite short.

Bottom line:

a nice Speysider, light, simple, and refreshing. ideal for summer,but don’t get your hope too high on this one.Enjoyable as it is, it lacks complexity. I think it’s a good starting point for novice single malt drinkers, and should be great for a hot climate as ours.

Nose, Taste, Finish and Balance are graded out of 2.5 each:

Nose: Apple and Dutch black liquorice are the first to greet, before introducing the marzipan candy and wet grass. Wafts of tobacco smoke are soon to follow, even shisha smoke of the peach variety. 2.0

Taste: A medium-bodied, oily sheet of pearled barley and malt, richly infused with oil-covered grape and peaty banana. A hint of spice offers a welcome counterpoint to the proceedings. 2.0

Finish: A calm surge of smoke and spice, as if one had literally taken the small coals from the Shisha pipe and put them on the palate, infused with the peach-flavoured tobacco smoke. 2.0

Balance: A complex dram, with plenty of refined layers of peat and spice to counterbalance the fruity malt. This is not a loud whisky, it doesn't demand your full and undivided attention, however it may well deserve it, or at least a good portion of it. A whisky of character, and one to be taken notice of. 2.0

The anCnoc whisky is produced by the Knockdhu distillery, near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. Prior to it's mothballing of 1983, their spirit was an important component of the famous Haig blend. In 1993 the distillery was obtained and reopened by Inverhouse Distillers Ltd. They then started marketing their dram as single malt, under the label of anCnoc. This somewhat strange move was merely to make sure consumers would not confuse this signle malt with those of that other Speyside distillery, Knockando.

The nose is aromatic & soft with lots of honey, a bit of lime, liquorice and even cereals.

He starts off very sweet, but dries up fairly quickly. Reminds me a bit of fruitbeer (we have several in Belgium). At the end, it becomes a bit bitter.

The finish is short and very dry.

This is not at all a complex dram, but it doesn't pretend to be either. It's a good allrounder. A typical entry malt.

As it can be obtained for about 25 pounds, it's a good idea to have this in your cabinet at all times (as a daily dram or to serve to friends who are not yet introduced into the magical world of whisky).

Nose: Sweet Malt, delicate citrus and a touch of spice set against a dominant note of red apple. There is smoke also but it is dry...almost like the last embers of a coal fire, not at all peaty. In many ways quintessential Speyside but there is a characterful richness about it that is quite charming.

Feel: Silky and slightly light.

Taste: Intensely sweet, almost syrupy at first with a real hit of barley sugar before that dry smoke from the nose comes through. The smoke never overtakes the sweetness and they seem to sit side by side. The slightly tart apple so prominent on the nose is present but now drifts towards honey soaked pear. A subtle touch of peppery spice adds to the experience.

Finish: Still sweet with a little oak providing a contrast. This is not a long finish but the fruit carries right through.

I must confess that this AnCnoc is a real favourite of mine, when it comes to an easy drinking and very charming malt there are few better. It has all the sweet malty notes you would hope for but there is a subtle and distinctive complexity to it that, for me makes it one of the very best Speysiders. Much underrated.