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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 9, 2024 |
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Two little indie Knockdhu
In other words, some AnCnoc. It’s true that you don’t come across them too often these days, but we still make a point of sampling whiskies from all the distilleries, for the cause. On top of that, these two little Knockdhus are going to be ex-hogshead, so not "wineskies" like the many you see around these days (even though some of them are actually quite good).
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Knockdhu 17 yo 2006/2023 (46%, Hunter Laing, Hepburn’s Choice, refill hogshead, 360 bottles) 
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: smoky right from the start! A whiff of carbon paper (remember that?) and ashes, even a bit of mustard, followed by strong fermentative notes—think baker’s yeast and a white beer from a fledgling craft brewery. There’s a hint of damp plaster too. Altogether, it’s rather singular, austere, and extremely close to the grain. Mouth: it feels young, but there’s an appealing simplicity, with raw ingredients like yeast and malted barley taking centre stage. Green apples come through next, with lemon and rhubarb stretching the whole thing taut like a bow. Just a faint touch of floral honey. Finish: fairly long, with mustard making a return, accompanied by fresh bread and under-ripe apples. Comments: this wild, natural style won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, that’s for sure. The cask seems to have been little more than a vessel here, and that’s probably for the best, though you might wonder if some wouldn’t have preferred it had spent three months in a Port or Cabernet Sauvignon seasoned cask. Hmm.
SGP: 362 - 85 points. |
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Knockdhu 10 yo 2013/2024 (52.3%, The Maltman, hogshead, cask #128, 295 bottles)
This one might be even more ‘au naturel’, though you wouldn’t guess that from its colour… Colour: deep yellow gold. Nose: toasted white bread, malt, a few roots, scones, and hints of turnip and celery. It’s austere, for sure not overly exuberant, but that’s quite appealing. With water: it wakes up, bringing in notes of candle wax and mandarin peel. Mouth (neat): much more presence on the palate than on the nose, with a real burst of citrus, plus touches of horseradish, radish, and mustard again… With water: not many changes. There’s also a hint of garden cress. Finish: nice and long, with a saline touch, more of those rooty notes, and radishes of all kinds in the aftertaste. Comments: I don’t see why this would score any differently. A very good Knockdhu, broad and natural. The mandarin and radish duo works superbly, not improbable at all.
SGP: 451 - 85 points. |
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