
February 11, 2020

Little duos, today young AnCnoc OB vs. IB

It’s been a long time since I last tried thLittle duos, today young AnCnoc OB vs. IBe official 12! We’ll also have a young Knocdhu by Cadenhead – as you know, AnCnoc, An Cnoc and Knockdhu are the same malt.

AnCnoc 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2019)

This fine malt scored WF 84 last time I tried it, but that was in 2011. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s really tight, rather on chalk and bread dough at first, then on white berries, gooseberries, green apples, stewed rhubarb… It’s only after a good thirty seconds that vanilla would come out, together with whiffs of shortbread from a freshly opened pack. Walker’s, naturally. A little bubblegum as well, jelly babies, marshmallows… Mouth: exactly the same flavours, word for word, with just a little more malt, and a little more Williams pear. Really fine, pleasantly malty, so close to the ingredients. Finish: medium, with the pears as the main flavour. Pear tarte and custard in the aftertaste. Comments: indeed, a fine, pretty ‘natural’ and very honest malt whisky. Of fair marketable quality, as they used to say.
SGP:541 - 83 points.

Knockdhu 9 yo 2010/2019 (56.2%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 888 bottles)

This baby from three bourbon hogsheads. Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re very close to the 12, except that this would be even tarter, almost acerbic for a while. More green apples, also lemons, while coconut and bananas would come out after one minute or two. Coconut balls, Malibu (ouch)… With water: sweet barley, vanilla fudge, meringue, cream gâteau… Mouth (neat): fine, malty, first on lemon cookies and gooseberry, then coconut again. And so, malted barley and Crème Egg (a new descriptor on WF, hurray!) With water: gets a notch grassier which is always welcome. Mezcal lollipops, prickly pear sweets… Finish: medium, maltier. Lemon tarte with meringue, but no whipped cream. Comments: quite young but does the job!
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Check the index of all AnCnoc we've tasted so far