anCnoc 2009 Vintage unveiled for global market
This special limited-edition expression proudly showcases the heritage and skill of Knockdhu’s small distillery team in creating a distinctive yet approachable whisky, with passion, tradition and craftsmanship distilled into every bright golden drop.anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky today (26th October) celebrates the latest release from its acclaimed vintages collection with the unveiling of anCnoc 2009 Vintage.
A delicate spicy, woody nose combines with anCnoc’s classic honey and citrus notes, demonstrating the time that this beautiful malt has spent quietly maturing in a combination of first-fill Spanish oak butts and ex-bourbon American oak barrels. With each sip, drinkers can look forward to delicious flavours of rich spice, sweet green apple, dark chocolate and butterscotch, with a smooth finish.
Vintage 2009 comes with anCnoc’s stylish, contemporary packaging, with touches of electric blue added for the new expression. It is non-chill filtered with natural colour and is available from specialist retailers only – with the release perfectly timed for whisky drinkers looking for a new, beautifully crafted dram to enjoy or gift over the festive season.
anCnoc is crafted at Knockdhu Distillery in the small village of Knock, by Huntly in Aberdeenshire, where Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce and his long-standing team dedicate themselves to the traditional craft of making excellent whisky.
Gordon commented: ‘We’ve been waiting twelve years for this vintage and it has definitely been worth the wait. This is a dram that has all the light, fresh qualities of anCnoc that are so loved by our drinkers, but there’s also a rich spiciness and complexity from its time in the casks.
‘It’s always a joy to release a new whisky out into the world. I’m particularly proud that the character of this new vintage captures the way we do things at Knockdhu, and the traditions we hold dear, yet it still tastes like a very modern single malt.
anCnoc 2009 Vintage will be a real treat for whisky drinkers looking for something a little bit different to explore, or as a special addition to the Christmas list of anyone who appreciates a well-crafted single malt’.
anCnoc 2009 Vintage is bottled in 70cl at 46% ABV, non-chilled filtered and with natural colour. Only 1,320 cases are available for UK and global markets, sold through independent and specialist retailers and whisky shops from today, RRP £50.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright gold
Nose: Delicate spices of American oak with notes of citrus, green apple and sweet toffee. All wrapped up in anCnoc’s typical notes of honey and citrus.
Taste: Richly spice, sweet green apple, dark chocolate with a hint of butterscotch adding complexity.
Finish: A smooth, delicate finish.
www.instagram.com/anCnoc_whisky
www.twitter.com/anCnoc_whisky
ABOUT ANCNOC
anCnoc is produced at Knockdhu Distillery, which sits in the shadow of the ‘Black Hill’ (Knockdhu in Gaelic) near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. 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.
Today, Knockdhu is known as one of the smallest and most enchanting distilleries in the Scottish Highlands, producing a refreshingly modern single malt whisky with 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. And Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce, and his team – known as the ‘Men of Knock’ – make up one of the smallest workforces in any distillery (including two dogs!)
anCnoc’s first foray into peated whisky began back in 2014 with the launch of a new ‘Peaty’ range, inspired by the whiskies made early in Knockdhu’s history using local peated barley.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE HOLDINGS
International Beverage Holdings Ltd is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses. Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant beers and spirits. These include:
Single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn
Blended Scotch Hankey Bannister
Caorunn, Scotland’s leading super premium gin
Mekhong, ‘The Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941
Chang Beer, Thailand’s iconic beer brand
Inver House Distillers is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Beverage Holdings Ltd, producing 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).