Thanks to /u/scotchguyto for sharing this dram.
So we’re at a tasting. Some pretty cool whiskies going on.
The subject of “what distilleries have you not had’, which is a subject I love about as much as ‘what’s the worst time you got hit in the genitals”.
Why did it come up? I couldn’t remember if I’ve had something from Knockando, so enter the teasing. After checking my sexy Google spreadsheet, turns out I had and the teasing ended. Kinda. Sure, everyone else hadn’t had Banff, or probably Knockando either, but it’s funny due to the amount of distilleries I have done.
Now that I’ve overexplained comedy in a dry and boring fashion, what is the second Knockando? Why Knockando 17 1994 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask of course. Aged 17 years, distilled in the era of boy bands and brought out by a distillery that sounds similar to another distillery that’s also in Speyside.
But how does it taste? Knockando isn’t something you see every day (it’s mostly used in J&B blends), so let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Price: Sold out
Region: Speyside
Vintage: 08.1994
Bottled: 10.2011
Cask Type: Refill Bourbon Hogshead
Cask Number: DL 7762
Number of Bottles: 175
Abv: 50%
Colour: 7.5Y 9/6
Nose: Limestone, lime, peanut, caramel, chocolate
Mineral, some lime. We’re continuing on the idea of palate openers. That said, there’s some nuttiness, sweet elements, and eventually, with water, it gets even sweeter. So I guess it’s the start of a dessert course?
Taste: Butter/caramel, saltwater, peach, peanut butter
Okay, not a starter whisky anymore. Gone are the mineral and lime, staying is more brine and caramel notes, some stone fruit, and with water, the nuttiness goes creamy and sweeter.
Finish: Caramel, peanut, dry pear, wood, turnip
The finish goes really, really earth dominant. Before it was balanced with the sweets and gave a nutty aspect, here it’s dry and goes right to earth and wood. Somewhat jarring.
Conclusion: Earth dominant caramel master. The whole time those earth elements are there, just sometimes they pair better. Like on the nose you get a gradual change, the taste is a good mix with the earth being nuttier, and then the finish just goes earth dominant like that one famous anime I should watch at some point.
All in all not a perfect dram, however, it’s a fun one. I’ll have to try more.
77/100
Scotch review #1173, Speyside review #331, Whisky Network review #1810
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