anCnoc 1975

Going to do an everyday malt today.

Oh, wait, I’ve reviewed all of those, and thus have trouble connecting with your average Scotch drinker and therefore dig myself deeper and deeper.

Fuck that, I’m balla.

So today we’re doing a special malt. In the year of 2014, we were all happier. Well, some of us were. Actually, given how the economy was going… Alright, we all had multiple thoughts like the adults we are.

None the less, those wacky distillers at Knockdhu released something special. Not only the peated anCnoc, which came with mixed results and were a callback to how things used to be done, but also anCnoc 1975. Yeah, a 39 year old dram from a distillery that (so far, based on my reviews) works well as the age increases.

“But TOModera”, I hear you say, “Isn’t that all whisky?”

No! Some of them just can’t handle the oak, like an overly busy beaver in dam season (Autumn).

That said, I haven’t had anything that was close to this age. Maybe Knockdhu is releasing something silly. I mean, there’s no extra colour or chill-filtration, and this is drawn from only three casks with no finishes. So it passes the paranoia tests.

Let’s see how it taste then, shall we?

Price: N/A

Region: Highland

Distillation Date: 1975

Bottling Date: 2014

Age: 39 years

Casks Used: Spanish and American oak (3 casks total used)

Total number of bottles: 1,590

Abv: 44.2%

Colour: 7.5YR 3/6

Nose: Cherrywood, prunes, apple chips, juniper being burned, white chocolate macadamia nut biscotti

Wow. Initial nose is just like walking into a smokehouse that uses cherrywood. Never been to one? Find some Southern hipsters. It’ll be close to them.

Lots of smoke nose on this one. Lovely juniper on fire. Which after walking through enough juniper bushes as a child, is the best of times.

Lovely dry white sweet notes as well. Everything is complex, nothing too strong, yet well balanced.

Taste: Plum, moss, maple syrup on snow, gingerbread black tea, cherry drink

Little light mouthfeel. However after 39 years, the angel’s are fat and drunk. Also they took a lot of the whisky.

Lovely earth mixed with strong flavours. Great tannins to balance it all out, and even some normally attributed to youthful notes of cherry at the end. It balances out the other sweet with some sour and light elements.

Finish: Mild caviar, miso, cassia buds, espresso, persimmon, hazelnut

Long finish. Super long. And complex. Lots of top end flavours here. It’ll throw you off.

Yes, it’s like having a proper balanced brine filled caviar. Yes, not many people know that. Sue me, I like nice things every so often, in moderation. And this goes against that. Very tasty.

Conclusion: Winter in Quebec. The entire thing hits me right in the head and brings me back to winter in Quebec, all the way. There’s good food, maple syrup on snow, proper tea, and lots of smoke from a wood fireplace.

Never been to Quebec in winter? Then think Maine, or Vermount, or North Dakota, or just with people that care for you and show it with good food. That’s the feeling of this whisky. Why? Because of the complexity, the flavour profile, and the quality. Can I explain it? Not 100%. It just left that feeling in me. And for that, it’s a great dram.

90/100

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