anCnoc 35 Year Old

A few bits of information about this expression before we start (as this if not yet available, you can not find those little bits of info anywhere): The whisky is Un-chill filtered , Non-coloured , bottled at Cask strength – out the cask at 43% (this is fairly common in older whiskies, to be round 40ies % due to angel’s share) . As this was a preview version, the official bottling will probably be wee below 43%. The vatting includes both Ex-Bouron and Ex-Sherry casks, and a total of 1,400 bottles will be available worldwide (in about 4-5 months). More information is currently unavailable : Price is TBD, and so is the design of the case and bottle). It’s fairly early in the process.

AnCnoc 35 year old, 43%ABV , 1,400 bottles , price: TBD (available in about 4-5 months)

Nose: This dram really evolved as time went by. On first sniff i got some initial sweet notes with some woody furniture, it threw me back to the days i frequented an old library in the city i was born at. After a few more minutes it was all about baked apple with sultanas in the middle after the pits were removed, lovely. After five more minutes it’s even sweeter with honey suckle , and cinnamon gum, yes the one we did chew on while we were wee kids. ah, this whisky is a stroll down memory lane! Very complex, and ever changing as notes also by many of the other participants. Quite fresh, for its 35 year of age.

Palate: Starting with the cinnamon gum also here, peppery even, then off to sultanas, chocolate drenched in liquor bitter wood, and nuts, more like bitter nuts. I was not going to add any water (remember it’s already at 43%), but after a few recommendations from the guys at EWB and Marc from SA, i tried a few drops of water.and boy!, i was in for a treat. I suddenly got some amazing exotic fruit notes, mainly Papaya, in what i can only describe as chocolate covered papaya. Yummy!

Finish:The finish is quite long, with bitter chocolate, cocoa, and crushed nuts.

Bottom line:

This is indeed an excellent whisky. Old, but does not show signs of aging, Complex, but also sippable, and the nose, Mamma Mia! this is sublime stuff, and I am not just saying this because i got sent a free sample. It’s really good. As this is going to be released in 4-5 months time, and the price has not been set yet, I would recommended it wholeheartedly, hoping the pricing will be fair.