anCnoc 12 Year

Rating: 14/23. Nose: A spicy heat with some clean malt and funky grain. There's a slightly stark bitterness, followed by hints of tropical fruit and soap. Palate: Despite the bottle advertising smoke, I don't detect much. It has a prominent worty grain flavor, with a surprising amount of heat and accompanying spices. There's some malty sweetness, but not abundant. The worty grain has some subtlety, but it's not a pleasant flavor. A touch of orange zest is present. Overall, it's rather dull and also flawed. It presents a very forgettable highland scotch profile. It requires more malt, additional flavors, and less heat. I suspect that bottling it at a higher proof and then adding water contributed to the grain's prominence and increased bitterness. Finish: It mirrors the palate. Not much is happening. The grain character persists. Conclusion: I'm quite unimpressed. I can drink it without issue, but it's not genuinely enjoyable. It's a flawed and generic scotch. Honestly, it tastes like something an enthusiast might distill at home. For the rating, I'm considering a 12 to 14. Agitating it and allowing air into my mouth reveals more sweet malty aromas, so I'm leaning away from a 12. I'm thinking a 14.

Nose: light, sweet, and fruity. Whipped cream and subtle vanilla. Honey. Cereal. Fruit tart. As it breathes, it becomes warm, oaky, and buttery with a hint of cinnamon. Palate: starts with pleasant sweet honey and cereal, similar to Honey Nut Cheerios, with a bit of orange and honeysuckle. Classic bright malt flavors. Some apple is noticeable. As I continue tasting, cinnamon and raisin become more apparent. It transitions to a mineral/stone note as it approaches the finish. It moves from the center of the tongue to the sides, then coats the entire mouth. Unique! Finish: warming, long, and lingering. As the warmth subsides, I'm left with very gentle tannic oak and a slight minerality.

The aroma can best be described as brined apricot honey, if such a thing existed. Absolutely lovely. Additional notes of vanilla bean, tart green apple, and white grapefruit are also present. On the palate, the brine is immediate, followed by citrus and honey notes. Light spice coats the throat, stimulating saliva production, causing the flavors to emerge again. Overall, an extremely easy-sipping Single Malt and complex for the price. Overall: Nose - 4/5; Palate - 4/5 Score 4/5 Repurchase: Yes Type: Friday Night Pour

The nose is very fruity, with prominent stone fruits lacking their sweetness, butterscotch, relatively young wood, significant background cocoa, iodine without being peaty, and white wine. The palate is still quite fruity but with a more pronounced woody character than the nose, sweet spices, and pits. The finish has burnt cereals without being unpleasant, cocoa, and pits. It has a nice smooth texture.

NOSE: Graham cracker-like malt, banana, vanilla, honey, dried fruit, cinnamon, light toffee, and vanilla. It's soft, easy, and pleasant; nothing objectionable about the aroma. PALATE: Malty, dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, nuts, with a bit of char and banana chips. The palate isn't incredibly complex, but the existing flavors are nice and warm. FINISH: Medium length, ending with fruity and malty notes and a slight char.

Nose: Vanilla, Cinnamon, Sultana, Toasted Bread, Sweet Bakery Bread. Palate: Nuts, Malt, Dried Fruit, Spice, Barley Sugar, Light Peat smoke. Malty, nutty, barley sugar, dried fruits (mostly apricot), earthy spices, and a gentle touch of peat smoke at the end. A great bottle of scotch that I consider a staple of the Highlands category.