Review #228 - AnCnoc 12 Year — Me, My Wife & Whisky

Produced at the Knockdhu distillery, AnCnoc is a Speyside (labeled as a Highland) single malt that's made without peat. There are no specifics given on the bottle or the brand's website about the types of casks used for maturation, but this is generally believed to have an emphasis on ex-bourbon barrels.

Owned by International Beverage, formerly Inver House, Knockdhu distillery is relatively large, which a theoretical production capacity around 2 million lpa. The name Knockdhu, like many Scotch distillery names, comes from Gaelic - it means 'Black Hill.' The brand name AnCnoc is closely related: it simply means 'The Hill.'

AnCnoc 12 Year

Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt

Current Locally Available Price: USD 61 (2024)

Age Statement: 12 Years

Strength: 43% ABV

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Light and crisp - orchard fruits like apple (both sweet and sour) and orange. There's a malty character, with hints of grain and some vanilla; soft white pepper spice comes with the mellow oak influence. Hints of salt, straw, and a musty character could occasionally be found.

Palate: Medium-thin on the mouthfeel, and a nice reflection of the nose: vanilla, honey, heather, and savory yellow apple. The oak is just a little stronger now, and it brings peppercorns and clove. Quite malty, with nice baking spices.

Finish: Medium length, with poached pears, golden apple, and sweetness from white chocolate. A soft, flowery, heathery perfume develops with time, and there are baking notes of vanilla extract and clove.

Final Note: Competent, quite mellow, and it doesn't stand out too much. It's a prototypical example of unpeated ex-bourbon single malt, and the lower bottling strength prevents it from becoming much more than that. Still, a nice sipper, and value is fine - quite average in today's entry-level Speyside single malt market.

Our Average Rating: 6.2 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.52