anCnoc 18 Year

Nose: Sweet honeyed malt, butterscotch toffee, roasted hazelnuts, autumn leaves, red berries, dark cherries, boiled Christmas pudding and marmalade. A very subtle hint of eucalyptus and oak cask in the background. Palate: A sweet arrival (not excessively sweet – just right) primarily showcasing chewy, rich malt and mocha coffee with a dusting of dry cocoa powder. The development reveals a spicier side with mild ginger, sweet cinnamon, and nutmeg, though it consistently remains gentle, elegant, and refined. The texture is excellent, full-bodied, and creamy. An outstanding orange note becomes prominent towards the finish. Finish: Long. Malt and preserved fruits lead into an extended aftertaste echoing the palate's spices, concluding with sweet leathery tobacco and orange liqueur. A most enjoyable dram. The nose is delightfully fragrant and improves with every second of resting in the glass – allow this dram time. The palate is longer than you might initially perceive. It's a profile that is immediately good and then continues to evolve, gradually revealing more and more subtle flavors. There's a hint of sulfur in the background, but it acts as a spice, adding complexity and depth. You might not even notice it, but its subtle and lingering positive effect on the spice notes and its contribution to the length will be apparent. Highly recommended. While browsing online sellers today, I noticed a bottle of this and, after checking my records, realized I already had a tasting sample from another source on hand! I hadn't planned to taste today but decided to try it. The result? I've just ordered two bottles. Tasted from a 30 ml sample. "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars).

Ancnoc. Have you tried any of their offerings? I recently discovered it after sampling 900 whiskies, and believe me, it was one of the most significant finds I've made lately. After a few satisfying expressions, I wanted to elevate my experience. Therefore, I selected the 18yo, which is one of the most reddish whiskies I've encountered, and we're talking about natural color here. It's bottled at 46% ABV. On the nose, it starts subtly. Red fruits, spicy prunes; cigarettes and Madeira wine. It's like a cigarette with a cherry infusion. On the palate, it's exceptional. Red fruits: strawberries, port wine, and prunes. It's incredibly syrupy, like red fruit syrup. Fresh farm fruits. It resembles strawberry marmalade. The finish is very well executed. Tangy prunes and quite astringent. Wine-like with mild smokiness. Strawberries. Overall, I must say the nose detracted slightly, but beyond that, this was a memorable whisky. I adored the combination of peaty notes and the port wine red fruitiness. An amazing, enjoyable, elegant, complex, delicious dram. I would purchase a bottle, and the price is reasonable. My rating is 90 out of 100.

Nose: Very pleasant fruity caramel, fruity apple-berry cider, with a hint of blueberries. Taste: Sweet fruity apple-berry cider, golden raisins, a hint of cayenne heat/spice, light caramel, and a lightly drying sensation. Finish: Spicy gentle heat, lingering fruity caramel, dark apple/pear juice sweetness, golden raisins, and a hint of blueberry. Score: 88/100. Final Thoughts: This was quite nice. The nose was a bit muted initially but eventually opened up more. A very pleasant experience from beginning to end with no off-putting notes. A nice balance of caramel sweetness and fruit from the ex-bourbon & sherry. Would I drink it if offered? Yes. Would I specifically order it? Yes. Would I buy a bottle? I'd be willing to pay up to $80 USD for this.

Aroma: Green Apple, Vanilla, Apricot, Fresh Sweet Bread, Grass, Marmalade, Caramel. Taste: Full bodied, Raisin, tannins, heather honey, oak spices, cassis. This is a whisky I will revisit. anCnoc consistently delivers a very mellow spirit initially, which then transforms beautifully with aeration. When I first tried the 12 year old expression of anCnoc, it was quite underwhelming and lacked character, to be honest. Revisiting it a few weeks after the initial tasting, I was astonished by the dramatic difference. The 12 year old had so much more flavor and richness, increasing my personal score from 3.0 to 3.75. I plan to re-evaluate this one later, but for now, it receives a 3.5.

This is the initial review from a series stemming from an Inver House tasting/master class this evening. The anCnoc 18 was the second pour of the night (following the 12 year), and it's quite impressive. The 12 year old anCnoc is light, fresh, and fruity; this one, however, spends time in 1st fill Oloroso sherry casks, and the influence is evident. Rich, full, and abundant with notes of chocolate-covered raisins, spices, and nuts, it's a darker, far more decadent experience than its younger counterpart. It may still be a bit too straightforward for a perfect score from me, but this is a fine whisky worth seeking out and appreciating.

Dramfest '18....Day 2....I was nearing the end of my tasting journey....my notes went from slightly illegible to completely unreadable after about 40 drams over nearly 5 hours:-). So, based on memory...I thought it was decent, nothing remarkable...beyond that, I'll let others provide more detailed impressions:-). I have samples of the 22 and 24 year olds which I'll need to open at some point.