First I want to say this, when you name is capitalized like that – you automatically lose points on the honesty metric of our ‘objective’ scoring system. I wish that wasn’t the case, that a scotch can just be what it wants and doesn’t need to abide by your rules man – but then scotches shouldn’t be American punk bands calling us the man instead of just punching us in the face like a real scot would. You hear that scotch – I want you to hit me – as hard as you can.
Sadly the scotch did not do that – even the front of the casing says it’s light and smooth (it’s okay Lagavulin daddy will never leave you). Anyway I have to do this writeup and it forces me to use the words nose and colour so I’m already miffed.
What they Say: “Bottle Back: anCnoc encourages you to savour this fine Single Malt responsibly.
Casing Front: Pronounced: [a-nock] Light and smooth, complex smoky taste with a soft note of malt and nuttiness. Established 1894.
Casing Back: Knockdhu Distiller, established in 1894 and one of the smallest and most enchanting in the Scottish Highlands, is renowned the world over by malt enthusiasts for producing a Single Malt that makes every day a special occasion.
The Knockdhu Distillery nestles under the mysterious Knock Hill, known to locals by its Gaelic name of anCnoc. Curiously, the Single Malt produced from the Knockdhu Distillery is not named after the Distillery. It is proudly named after the anCnoc, which provides the source of the pure crystal spring water that is an essential element of anCnoc Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Nose Soft, very aromatic with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground.
Colour Amber with a slight yellow hue.
Taste Sweet to start with an appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. A malt for every occasion.”
Taste: 5.5– You do actually get that sweet and fruit at first.
Aftertaste: 6.0 – With some more smoky afterwards, and it does stick around for a bit, but overall it’s just not ‘great’.
Burn/Smooth: 5.5 – There’s a flash of burn, but it gets smoothed out fairly quick, and then that nice warmth stays with you.
Aroma: 5.0 – It really is too light here – you need to dig in and even then there’s not much a scotch to smell.
Honesty: 3.0 – Here sadly it gets this high purely on being a Highland scotch, sorry but with that name, and the amount of spunk I had to transcribe above – it shot itself in the foot. I would have loved a scotch called Knockdhu that’s text on the back was just nothing.
Mixability: 5.0
W/ Rocks: 5.0 – It kind of mellows the burn, and makes the sweet and fruit mingle a bit more, but it’s not really a major improvement.
Value: 5.0 – Not really a terrible value in fairness.
Google Shop Average: $41
Website: http://ancnoc.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 5.0
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Metric Score: 35/70 |+| Metric Average: 5.0 |+| Reviewer Average: 5.0
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Final Thoughts: It seems to be trying to give Highland Park a run for it’s minor for being the most standard single malt scotch on our scale of ‘average.’
