anCnoc Flaughter

As our third set of samples winds down, I held onto my third provided sample, hoping it would be the best of the three I presented. Flaughter is produced by the Highland region distillery, anCnoc. It is the second in their peated line, succeeding Rutter and preceding the recently unveiled PeatHeart. This one registers around 15ppm and boasts a healthy 46% ABV. It is non-chill filtered and has no color added. The aroma is quite unusual. My immediate thought was Diacetyl. This is a condition typically found in wild and sour craft beers, resulting from the yeast's incomplete consumption of bacteria introduced during fermentation to create the desired sourness, leading to an undesirable, rancid butter flavor in the beer. That's what came to mind with the first whiff. This smell, combined with damp fireplace smoke, left my nose reeling, uncertain of what to expect on the palate. Upon the first sip, abundant peat smoke emerged, along with a sharp note I'd describe as grilled lemon slices. Imagine grilling fish with lemon on top, and it falling onto the hot coals. It also seems evident that the base whisky is relatively young, and anCnoc chose not to blend in some aged spirit to mellow the younger whisky. This all culminates in a persistent, harsh finish. Regarding the finish, some earthy peatiness surfaces along with smoke resembling a wet blanket thrown over a smoldering fire. It's a bit too harsh, and a briny, sea salt flavor dries on the tongue, lingering until washed away. Overall, despite its flaws, I believe it could have been salvaged and transformed into a solid dram had they simply used some older malt to soften the entire whisky. A touch of mellowing would have significantly improved it. As it stands, it's difficult to assign this a good score. I'd like to let this rest and revisit it much later, but as a certain popular online personality said, “Ain’t nobody got time for dat!” (Look up Sweet Brown if you're unfamiliar). She's an American treasure. 3 stars. Cheers.

Third stop on the SDT is Knockdhu, more commonly known as anCnoc. Flaughter is an age-statement-free bottling from this Highland distillery, named after a digging tool. Flaughter's peat level is 14.8 ppm. It's bottled at 46% ABV, is non-chill filtered, and has a pale straw natural color. The aroma is peaty and earthy. A good amount of sea salt and grilled lemons emerge after you get used to the peat. Some light plum and apricot notes are present. It lacks complexity and shows significant youth. A low level of vanilla, green grapes, and some maritime notes are detected. The taste begins with a moderate level of peat. Not excessively strong at 14.8 ppm, but it's definitely peaty. Earthy, with brine/sea salt. A bit fruity, but not overly sweet. I struggled to identify distinct fruit flavors, just a general fruitiness. It finishes slightly ashy with citrus. Medium light body. Creamy and somewhat oily. It makes your mouth water and coats your mouth in a slightly unusual, but not unpleasant, way. Medium long finish, primarily peat smoke and ashes. I had higher hopes for this one. The attractive packaging suggested something special within. It's not bad, but it simply didn't impress me. It's too one-dimensional. At $65, it's not worth the cost. I could enjoy this occasionally for a peated dram that doesn't require much thought, but otherwise, it's not worth buying a full bottle. Thanks to a friend for the sample. 3.25 Cheers 🥃

I'm currently exploring Highland/Speyside peated whiskies, prompted by a recent delivery from The Whiskey Exchange. I began with the Ancnoc Flaughter. This was my initial experience with Ancnoc. I approached it without specific expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The primary and most significant surprise was the pervasive peaty character throughout – on the nose, palate, and finish. While not on the level of Laphroaig or Ardbeg, it's the dominant characteristic and a very agreeable barbecue-like peat. Secondly, there was an absence of youthful harshness. Finally, sweetness was present but well-integrated and not overwhelming. After getting past the initial surprises, I did identify a couple of drawbacks. First, it's quite straightforward overall, even though the two main elements (peat and sweetness) are quite pleasant. Additionally, the sweetness is rather indistinct – fruity, but difficult to pinpoint specifically. I'll soon compare this to some of the other drams I have ready, including the Ancnoc Cutter. For now, my impression is that it's not compelling enough to add to my purchase list, but I would never be displeased to drink it.

This is a more traditional peated malt compared to Rutter. You can still sense its youth, as it comes across as quite sharp and spirit-like. It's very pleasing to the nose – a heavy smoked and peated aroma with some wonderful sweetness from caramel, fresh fruits, raisins, and chocolate. It's very potent on the palate but lacks the bitumen note found in Rutter. Again, it exhibits the classic anCnoc characteristics – cocoa on the palate, caramel, and toffee mixed with a strong peated taste and iodine. Faint hints of licorice appear on the palate towards the finish. The finish is long, not overly sweet, and nicely peated – just as it should be.

Thanks to a friend from our Scottish distillery sampling group, I experienced this peaty Highlander. Until tonight, I don't believe I'd ever heard of Ancnoc (how is that pronounced? A-Knock?). It's like a smaller version of a young Caol Ila, but without any saltiness or brine. The peat hits immediately, accompanied by a generous amount of citrus, and a brief, sharp finish with a touch of earthy residue. It's decent. I'd enjoy this on a cold, wet evening. While not groundbreaking, it's a reliable, average peaty whisky. Appreciate the sample!

This is a sweet peat, so the theme for this dram is "Sweet Leaf" by Black Sabbath. The nose also has some dark berry fruit and faint hints of dark chocolate mint. On the palate, it's a rush of ash, lemon bar, and oil. It coats the mouth heavily and has a long smoky finish, but I believe it would be better with something else for balance, like more sweet or briny notes. Just a couple drops of water didn't diminish the peat and slightly reduced the sharpness. I'm considering this a 3.25, and thanks to a friend for the sample.