This is the #barelylegal week and today is Knockdhu’s turn. The distillery is the first founded by DCL (Distillery Company Limited, now Diageo) in the end of the 19th century and its whisky is named AnCnoc. Compagnia dei Caraibi is importer for the italian market, with the exclusive for all Inver House portfolio (Balblair, Old Pulteney, Speyburn). Today we obviously taste the 18 years old and we are happy because this is the first AnCnoc ever for the website. It’s a shame that it’s happening after 5 years and half of blogging, we are so scatter-brained!
N: very expressive nose, with great personality and quite stratified aromas. Ex sherry oak influence is big, with red fruits marmalade (strawberry, cherry, raspberry), together with some delicate and well integrated nuances of cocoa and coffee. However what is stunning us are pastry notes like tarte tatin, peaches in syrup and glazed orange.
P. this isn’t a bombing malt (does it make sense?), but it has without any doubt a good intensity, with a wall made by sweet fruit (both red and yellow, peaches in syrup, orange marmalade). It becomes even slightly creamy (toffee and fruit pastry), ending with a touch of tannins and spices (nutmeg, perhaps coffee, candied ginger). Hazelnut, for sure.
F: full aftertaste, with a bunch of dried fruits, cloves and generic red fruits.
Once again we start from the vote: 87/100. In our opinion this is an excellent whisky that, in the end, tastes just like… whisky! The features from the two different casks kind are well integrated, contributing to the creation of a perfect medium-aged, complex and intense speysider.
Recommended soundtrack: Pino Daniele – Nero a metà.
