Knockdhu whiskies

History

The distillery was built at the end of the 19th century and was the first that the Distillers Company, the big group of Scottish blenders, built rather than bought ready-made. For almost a century its whisky went into blends, and it had several periods of closure during the crises. At the end of the 1980s it was bought by Inver House, which reopened it and promoted its own malt. In the 1990s the house adopted the name anCnoc, Gaelic for “the hill”, for its malt. In recent decades it has released peated and vintage editions.

House style

anCnoc’s style is light and honeyed: honey, lemon, vanilla, biscuit, apple and flowers, with a medium body and a clean finish. The house uses worm tubs and matures mainly in bourbon casks, with some sherry. Its regular range is unpeated, although there are smoky editions. It is a clean, well-balanced whisky without rough edges, which works both neat and in a highball. With age it gains honey and ripe fruit.

Where to start

anCnoc 12 Year Old is the benchmark expression and a great gateway to light Highland malts: smooth, honeyed and fresh. You’ll like it if you’re after a delicate, well-made malt. Drink it neat or with a few drops of water. If you like it, compare it with other light malts, such as Glencadam or Speyburn.

• anCnoc 12 Year OldSingle malt · 40% ABV