AnCnoc 18yo
Official Bottling | 46% ABV
What it means to be a part of Dramface
My first ever whisky paid for by writing about whisky. It’s confession time, folks.
As we’re closing in on nine months of Dramface magnificence and I couldn’t be more proud and happy to be in the thick of it. This whole thing has hit the ground running and what a thrill it’s been so far. All credit due to a wonderful and exquisite team of writers and mechanics, creating the content and making the engine purr like a ‘whisky-filled kitten’ behind the scenes, of course.
And yet, I feel it’s been a bit of a lucky coincidence that I’m part of this, pretty much from day one at that. It just so happened that I was on a Zoom call with our founder earlier this year when Wally spilled the beans on the whole Dramface project, which was on the verge of being launched. As he went on explaining the concept and philosophy behind Dramface to an esteemed YouTuber and myself who was also on the call with his usual contagious enthusiasm, he made it clear the team was looking to recruit contributors, and as said YouTuber is being held in very high regard by Wally (and me as well, for the record), he approached him with something down the lines of, “Would you be interested in joining? And of course, you as well, Earie”, he hastened to continue.
Call it serendipity or a clear case of being in the right place at the right time, I banked it there and then. Whether or not our esteemed YouTuber is now one of the Dramface team, is for me to know and for you to find out (I know some of you have gone full Sherlock trying - often successfully - to discover the names behind the aliases), but let me assure you that even this minimal opening of the door was enough for me to put my foot in, and a bit of a push and a shove later, I’m now on 20-odd reviews and a feature. Which is nice, but still peanuts to the ever so prolific dynamic duo of Dougie and Dallas, whose combined tally goes all the way to over 150 reviews and articles.
What’s more, since we kicked off Dramface, we had our first virtual get together. It was a night of great insights, great whiskies and many laughs. Plans for another get together around Christmas are in the pipeline and the Dramface chatbox where most of the contributors and mechanics hang out, is buzzing like a beehive with ideas, stories, and a fair dose of banter. It’s a diverse group of enthusiasts from very different backgrounds, and, much like the whisky community in general, is a welcoming, inclusive bunch where our common passion for whisky binds us way more than the possible many differences might divide us.
Why am I telling you this? Well first of all I want you to know that I consider myself to be very lucky, but also because it’s a nice little segue into today’s review. Thanks to the paying subscribers of Dramface, a lot of the raw costs of running and maintaining the whole thing can be covered, with enough to spare to give the team a share as well. So needless to say, the money that made it into my PayPal account was destined to end up in a bottle or two for me to review. As is the case with today’s An Cnoc 18yo.
Review
AnCnoc 18yo, Official release, 46% ABV Batch : 19.03.2021.
£90 and general availability
In an extensive review by yours truly and Dougie, I’ve looked into Knockdhu’s interesting past, so I won’t bore you with any of that today, but rather dive straight into the actual whisky. A whisky that’s been on my ‘to try’ list for quite a while now. So when I saw that it was nominated in this year’s Online Scotch Whisky Awards, in the ‘best whisky of 2022’ category, it was as if the stars aligned as one of my go to stores had this on the shelves at a very reasonable price - something that sadly seems to have become a bit of an issue with this expression in recent times.
Nose
Initially there’s fruit galore. Toffee apples, plums, raisins, apricot, raspberries and strawberries. Thick and dense like marmalade intertwined with something pink and minty – reminiscent of chewing gum - transferring into a fizzy sensation. Give it time and it makes way for nuts and spices like soft ginger and gentle clove.
Palate
A lovely effervescence is the first thing I notice. That fizzy sensation from the nose translating nicely on the tongue. It’s got depth, coming from oak and dried fruit such as prunes and sultanas and dried apricot, sitting on liquorice and notes of roasted grain. It then goes into a lingering finish of soft oaky bitterness turning increasingly dry with echoes of fruit and chocolate.
The Dregs
The development is there, it’s got depth and character and the effervescence note brings out a lovely, almost playful characteristic to counter those 18 years of maturation. And still I’ve rated this a 6/10, rather than a 7/10. The reason I’ve held back is that, while I really enjoy it, it has yet to wow me. I think, as I’ll be spending more time with this bottle, I may very well see the light on this one and tilt towards a higher score. Until then, I’m curious to see what my fellow Dramfacers make of this.
Score: 6/10
Aengus’s Review
AnCnoc 18yo, Official release, 46% ABV Batch : The tiny illegible date code on my bottle is 15/07/2020
£90 and general availability
Nose
Hot cocoa with marshmallows, orange oil, fresh fruits, and musty, dusty oak. Slightly green smelling with apple and pear skins, and grape must. Next morning the empty glass smells of thick leather and a whiff of smoke.
Palate
Round and soft entry but morphs quickly, gaining traction like a mini 4x4 on the tongue, racing off to hit sides and back of the mouth lighting up all those flavour pathways along the way. Bitter espresso and chocolate syrup. Vanilla and oak are there too, cherries and fennel, with a honey finish. The scotch mist is strong with this one, and barely takes any coaxing with time and water before a thick fog appears in the glass.
The Dregs
If I look back on my single malt scotch-specific whisky journey, there are three standout moments I can pick out. Glenmorangie 10 was the first time I noticed a bottle change after being open for some time. Without anyone to talk to about it or any exposure to internet whisky folk to corroborate what I was tasting, I wondered if other people had noticed the same thing. My second standout was a pour of Talisker 10 at a restaurant. A true flavour moment for the memory banks, I was blown away by the perfectly balanced interplay of sweet, salt, and smoke that drove me further down the scotch rabbit hole in search for another breakthrough find.
Last year I had my third standout scotch moment with AnCnoc 18. I vividly remember my first thought as I initially tasted the liquid - that knowing this whisky exists is going to ruin a lot of others for me. Just so much grip without being too loud or gimmicky, and hitting all the right spots. It’s not only about the flavour, but about the way said flavour is deposited in my mouth.
Although this, my second bottle of AnCnoc 18, doesn’t seem to have the life-changing sparkle that my first did, or at least that I remember (let’s face it both whisky and palates change and Talisker 10 doesn’t do it for me like it used to), the character and feeling is still there and I can confirm it’s still right up my alley - a strong seven.
Score: 7/10 AMc.
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
Other opinions on this:
Sipper’s Social Club (same batch - video)
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