AnCnoc Profile

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The retention of Knockdhu’s two originally-designed pot stills means Ancnoc’s signature fruity, citric and honeyed flavour is very similar in style to the whisky produced by the distillery more than 100 years ago.

Ancnoc is matured in a mixture of ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks, while the final whisky is free of chill filtration and added colour, lending weight to the malt’s light fruitiness.

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  • Region
    Highland
  • Production type
    Single malt
  • Produced at
    Knockdhu

AnCnoc History

The Ancnoc brand came into existence just a few short years after Inver House Distillers bought Knockdhu distillery from United Distillers in 1988.

Having brought the distillery out of mothballs in the February following its purchase, Inver House set about establishing a brand for its first Scotch whisky plant. It was felt, by the owner, that the distillery name was too confusingly similar to Speyside distillery Knockando, and so Ancnoc [meaning black hill] was chosen as the brand to represent its single malt.

The first official bottling of Ancnoc was released in 1993, although the brand never really took off until 2003 when it was relaunched with a 12-year-old bottling as its flagship. In the years that followed a series of vintages and age statements were released, and by 2013 the core range consisted of the 12-year-old alongside a 16, 18, 22 and 35-year-old.

A number of expressions appeared as part of the Peter Arkle collection – a collaboration with the renowned illustrator who designed the packaging – which was launched as a limited edition range in 2012.

While Knockdhu’s malt is renowned for its light, fruity style, the distillery has been producing a small amount of peated spirit for several years, which was finally released as part of a new collection in 2014. The peaty range comprises of Rutter, Flaughter, Tushkar and Cutter, all of which are named after peat-cutting tools and have been matured in ex-Bourbon casks for between eight and 12 years. Ancnoc notes the phenol content of all four, which ranges between 11 and 20ppm, based on the new make itself rather than in the barley.

Timeline

  • 1894 Production begins at Knockdhu distillery
  • 1993 Considering Knockdhu to be too confusingly similar in name to another distillery, a single malt under the Ancnoc brand is launched
  • 2003 Ancnoc is relaunched with a 12-year-old at the heart of the range
  • 2008 Ancnoc 16 Year Old is launched as a permanent expression
  • 2012 The brand’s oldest expression to-date, a 35-year-old, is released; the Peter Arkle collection kicks off with ‘Ingredients’
  • 2014 The first peated Ancnoc is released in the form of the Peaty Range

Owners

Parent company

Current owner

Contact

Address
Knockdhu Distillery
Knock by Huntly
Aberdeenshire
AB54 7LJ
United Kingdom
Phone
+44 1466 771223
Visitor Opening Hours
Not open to the public

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See also

  • Balblair Balblair Balblair Distillery & brand

    Balblair

    One of the prettiest distilleries.

  • Balmenach Balmenach Balmenach Distillery & brand

    Balmenach

    One of Speyside’s traditional sites.

  • Knockdhu Knockdhu Knockdhu Distillery & brand

    Knockdhu

    Producer of Ancnoc single malt.

  • Pulteney Pulteney Pulteney Distillery

    Pulteney

    Home to the Old Pulteney single malt.

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