anCnoc 16 Year Old Cask Strength 125th Anniversary 56.3% ABV - The Perfect Whisky for Under $200?

Growing up in Canada, anCnoc Distillery wasn’t a distillery that got a lot of attention. It wasn’t available here. When it came to market, it was hard to quantify. It’s not a splashy distillery. It’s a traditional single malt whisky maker that takes pride in the little things that make a great whisky. You can read more about anCnoc distillery elsewhere. You can also listen to our podcast with the Gordons.

Let’s talk about this particular limited release, because it’s something special. At cask strength, aged for sixteen years, this anCnoc has something different about it. The tasting notes are all familiar, and yet it comes with that extra oomph. It’s hard to quantify. It’s at that $150 price point range, so it’s not an instant-buy from that perspective, but it’s delicately subtle in its brilliance. It’s not for everyone. But, I’d argue, most should try it. It’s release is limited. 

anCnoc 16 Year Old Cask Strength 125th Anniversary 56.3% ABV
Category: Single malt scotch, Cask Strength 
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Nose: Black pepper, caramel, oaky tannins, and something that borders toffee. The sweetness is an intense blackberry note (concentrated). It’s a quiet but inviting. Touches of ginger, and baking spices. 

Palate: The caramel note establishes a terrific base; it’s buttery, sweet, and complex with brown sugar and toffee notes. The dried fruit characteristic is perfect; sweet, subtle, rich. It’s Turkish Delights at their best. The finish is dried fruits, blood orange zest (in this beautiful sweetened concentrated format), and buttery. There’s not a hint of the high ABV anywhere on the nose, palate, or finish. It’s not peppery-spice boozy. It’s truly a unique pour.

Conclusion: 

I make mention of Turkish Delights in the tasting notes, because I was in Turkey over a decade ago, and I learned that I love Turkish Delights. But they need to be fresh to be properly enjoyed (people agree with me). If it’s been sitting in a commercial box on a shelf somewhere for six months, you won’t get the best of it. When tasted fresh, that’s when you the rose water base comes through to make it an extraordinary treat. This is what anCnoc 16 Year Old Cask Strength reminds me of. It’s scotch flavours that are fresh. It’s extraordinary. 

Either way, I want fresh Turkish Delights and I want to get another bottle of anCnoc 16 Year Old Cask Strength. I love this whisky for all the things it does perfectly. Often notes like ‘baking spice’ and ‘dried fruits’ have a ‘in a jar for a many months’ characteristics to them. They’re enjoyable, just not refreshing. All the notes here are fresh, forward, and subtle. This is one of those whiskies that if you don’t drink a lot of single malts, you might just say ‘hey, that was pretty good’ and then realize you maybe had the best you’ll ever have. 

The dried fruit note is so damn great. The brown sugar notes are wonderful. The fact that it lacks a peppery finish (something I usually love in a whisky) at this proof point clears the palate for all the subtler notes. Anyway, it’s a special pour of whisky. It’s a “quiet room” whisky. It’s the whisky that’s just loud enough to not be overwhelmed by the noise of the day, but subtle enough that it’ll reward your palate and take your thoughts elsewhere. 

Did I mention it’s a limited release? 

Other reviews around the internet:

Whisky Lassie’s Top Ten of 2019

Malt Review didn’t quite like it as much.