AnCnoc 12 Year

Review by: The Muskox

I didn’t post a review yesterday, so there’ll be two today to make up for it! Here’s a whisky that I tried once ages ago, had a positive impression of, then promptly forgot about. Since then, I’ve had quite a few AnCnocs/Knockdhus, most of which have been very tasty.

Distillery: Knockdhu.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 40%.

Age: 12 years.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: $80 CAD.

Color: e150. Chill-filtered.

Nose: A mix of light and dark notes. Bright apples and squeezed lemons on top, with darker caramelized notes of caramel, bread crusts, and toasted nuts and oak. Some very dark honey. Pepsi (not Coke!)

Palate: Full-bodied. Arrives sweet, with brown sugar, baked apples, and more Pepsi. Very toasty on the development – caramel, moderate oak, and a dirty, earthy note coming in late. Sort of a rock-candy sweetness, as well as Tootsie Rolls and chocolate milk.

Finish: Medium-short. Lingering dark oak, burnt brown sugar, roasted walnuts, and slight earth. Cherries and almonds, as well as some ginger soda.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Barrel-aged cola repository”

Conclusion: This has got to be the best unpeated standard-release 40%-er I’ve ever tried. Lots of caveats there, but still. Loads of flavour for the proof, and really great texture too. It’s not particularly complex, but the sweet-sour/toasty combo is appealing and tasty. Some fun nostalgic notes in there for me personally, though I’ve never liked Tootsie Rolls. Anyways. This is a great bottling to introduce people to more complex, richer flavours in whisky. I’ll certainly start recommending this to bourbon drinkers wanting to dip their toes into the world of better scotch whisky.

Final Score: 78.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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