Some young Knockdhu


March 6, 2026

WF’s little duos, some young Knockdhu

We’re fond of Knockdhu, even if it’s never been easy to keep track of the changes, between Knockdhu (sometimes mistaken for Knockando), An Cnoc, AnCnoc… In any case, we’re going to taste two of them today, hoping to see many more appear on our table in the coming months or years. We shall see, it’s not exactly a seminal malt either…

AnCnoc 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2025)

Inevitably, at 40%, it feels a tad cheap and bit stingy. The last time we tasted the ‘12’, it was in 2020, and it had been perfectly respectable all the same (WF 83) At this strength, really… And here we are, five years later… Colour: white wine. Nose: pear juice, cider, pineapple liqueur, hairspray, mid-range IPA… In short, amyl acetate. Mouth: it is a charming malt, very close to the raw ingredients, barley, pear, green tea, melon, jellybeans, then yet more pear… Finish: touches of caramel and nougat, followed by a very light soapy note afterwards. Comments: truly a lovely malt whisky that reminds us that, in the end, we are in the presence of a barley eau-de-vie. The lack of oomph is nevertheless slightly problematic, these 40% do feel rather cheap indeed. The new Whisky Loch should encourage the brands to raise their game a little. I know, taxes and all that, remember I am French…
SGP:441 - 81 points.

Knockdhu 10 yo 2012/2022 (54.9%, Whisky Picnic Bar, cask #11534843)

Colour: full gold. Nose: we find a side of fresh bread and pear cake, but there is inevitably rather more conversation here, with a marquetry note, rosewood, pear cider (poiré), fig… With water: orange cake, with grated zest and ginger. More or less… Mouth (neat): lively, fermentary, peppery, in short this is not joking. Ginger cake, grey pepper… With water: no major change. Some rather bitter ales and walnut liqueurs, and in any case distinctly artisanal. Finish: long, even more bitter still. Comments: in general, these independent versions literally outshine the official ones, all distilleries taken together, but perhaps not this time because of the bitterness. Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone, eh?
SGP:461 - 80 points.

Check the index of all Knockdhu we've tasted