anCnoc whisky – Father’s Day
Philip Day shares a few ‘Knock Dhus’, rather than don’ts, for enjoying anCnoc whisky this Father’s Day as well as other occasions.
A good single malt is often top of the list for gifts on Father’s Day but choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Thankfully, with Father’s Day fast approaching ((20th June, if you need reminding) the passionate team at Knockdhu Distillery, the home of anCnoc (pronounced ‘a-nock’) Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky have shared a few secrets as to how ‘they’ enjoy anCnoc, as a way of offering inspiration and insider tips for anyone new to buying single malt whisky.
From suggestions of food parings to the perfect setting, Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce and his distillery team reveal how to make the most out of three of their favourite anCnoc whiskies, any or all of which would make great gifts for Father’s Day, or a whole host of special occasions: from birthdays and post lockdown family gatherings, to drinks with good friends or a relaxing evening unwinding alone, there’s an anCnoc dram to suit.
Basic Tips
If you would like to explore the world of single malt whiskies, the team suggest the following pointers or ‘Knock Dhus’ to get you started:
- The next time you pour yourself a whisky, it’s worth initially trying it neat.
- Although many people drink single malt with a few drops of water, others like the bold alcohol flavour in different drams. Just try it and see what you think.
- If the taste is too strong for your taste buds, then add a few drops of water.
- Why water? A splash of water helps you smell more of the single malt’s aromatics and flavours but just make sure the water you use is at room temperature and don’t drown the whisky!
- The easiest way is to pick up a few drops on a drinking straw, holding your finger over the top so you can add one drop at a time to the dram. Swirl the liquid in the glass, taste and repeat adding additional drops until you find the flavour that you are looking for.
- After that – keep experimenting! Try different single malts, food parings, cask finishes and special bottlings.
- There are so many single malts available and that’s all part of the fun. There’s bound to be more than one that’s just right for you.
anCnoc expressions tips
Focusing on three different anCnoc expressions, the distillery team offer the following tips:
The Whisky: anCnoc 12 years old
A great all-rounder that’s ideal for enthusiasts and whisky newcomers alike.
RRP £36.95
Smells like (Nose)
Sweet, smooth, soft, honey and citrus.
Tastes like
Soft, gentle, sweet and smooth.
For which occasion?
This is a real ‘any day whisky’ which is very approachable and easy to drink.
If you fancy a whisky mid-week, post dinner, then this expression really hits the spot – a great accompaniment to your favourite TV show!
Food pairing suggestions
Orkney cheddar, parmesan (the saltiness of the cheese bounces off the whisky’s sweetness.) Or tantalise your taste buds with some good quality vanilla ice-cream.
The Whisky: Peatheart
The perfect whisky for fans of peated single malt, or lovers of strong flavours.
RRP £52.00
Smells like (Nose)
A lovely balance of bonfire/ashy wood smoke, toffee/vanilla and citrus.
Tastes like
Sweet citrus and vanilla with a subtle balance of smoke.
For which occasion
Friday night with friends sitting at the kitchen table with good cheese and ‘craic’. If it’s dry outside then its great drunk round a bonfire or firepit. If you want to embrace BBQ season – it tastes superb misted on to a steak, pre-BBQ.
Food pairing suggestions
Blue cheese, parmesan, smoked salmon, gravadlax or with BBQ meats.
The Whisky: anCnoc 18 years old
A great whisky if you really want to treat someone.
RRP £73.00
Smells like (Nose)
Dried fruit sweetness, citrus and toffee/vanilla.
Tastes like
Sherry dried fruit sweetness, citrus and vanilla.
For which occasion?
This whisky is a great dram to enjoy with friends. However, it’s also the perfect whisky to pour for yourself at the end of a long week… just sit back, sip and savour that alone time.
Food pairing suggestions
Chocolate – the distillery team’s favourite is Green and Black’s organic selection box., although other top quality brands of chocolate also work well too
For further information about these expressions see my previous articles about anCnoc bottlings
Knockdhu Distillery
anCnoc is produced at Knockdhu Distillery, which is located in Knock near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, sitting in the shadow of the ‘Black Hill’ (Gaelic: ‘Knockdhu’). It was established in 1894 by the pioneering John Morrison, after he spotted an abundance of the natural resources needed to make fine malt whisky in the area: pure spring water and plentiful supplies of peat and barley. The site was also chosen for its proximity to the Knock Station on the Banff branch line of the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) between Aberdeen and Elgin.
Today, Knockdhu is known as one of the smallest and most enchanting distilleries in the Scottish Highlands, producing a refreshingly modern single malt whisky while still employing the most traditional skills and processes. The Black Hill continues to supply pure water for the whisky making process. The distillery’s two copper pot stills replicate the original 1894 design, their bulbous bases giving anCnoc its light, fresh, fruity flavour. Old fashioned worm tubs are used to condense the vaporised alcohol.
Taken together, the pure waters, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character. Previously named ‘Knockdhu’ after the distillery, the whisky was renamed under the Gaelic name anCnoc (‘the hill’ in English) in 1994, to avoid confusion with whisky from the Knockando Distillery.
Over the years, Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce, and his team at Knockdhu Distillery have built an extensive range of Speyside Single Malt whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes, all of which can be discovered on the distillery website.
Address: Knockdhu Distillery
Knock
Huntly
Aberdeenshire
AB54 7LJ
Email: visitor.centre@glen-moray.co.uk
Facebook: @ancnocsinglemalt
Twitter: @ancnoc_whisky
Instagram: ancnoc_whisky
Website: https://www.ancnoc.com
Inver House Distillers is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Beverage Holdings Ltd., one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses. It produces its Scotch whiskies and gin at five distilleries around Scotland: Pulteney, Speyburn, Knockdhu, Balblair and Balmenach. Inver House is also highly active in the warehousing and blending of Scotch whisky, with warehousing for 500,000 barrels and state of the art blending and laboratory facilities at its headquarters in Airdrie. The business has won many prestigious accolades over the years, including the Icons of Whisky Distiller of the Year Award for Scotland (2017).
References
Press release care of Burt Greener Communications
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knockdhu_distillery
http://www.worldwhiskiesawards.com
Images
Kindly provided with thanks by Burt Greener Communications