anCnoc Peaty Collection – Twitter Tasting

You may have seen some of the recent talk of the new Peaty Collection releases from anCnoc, they’ve done quite a good job of getting the word out there…. But if you’ve missed any of the chat, then here’s the blurb:

This new collection from the Knockdhu Distillery will feature anCnoc’s classic light, easy-drinking style but with a dark, distinctive and smoky twist.

It is range of individual expressions named after traditional peat-cutting tools, some of which are still used to this day.

All anCnoc Peaty Collection expressions are bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and presented at their natural colour.

These are releases are NAS, but most casks used were filled between 2004 to 2006.

Luckily enough I’ve been able to attend a Twitter Tasting to go through this new range, so my thoughts on them all are below!

anCnoc Rutter

“Peated to 11 ppm phenol and matured in American oak hogsheads, is the lightest and freshest of the three releases with notes of delicate spices, juicy pineapples, peardrops and a gentle whiff of vanilla delivering anCnoc’s trademark character under a veil or warming smoke.”

Colour: Pale yellow to light gold.
Nose: Light peat whiffs reach you quite quickly, they’re tempered with fruits and fudge. Pineapple cubes (sweets), i.e. sweet and no sharp notes fresh pineapple can give. Malty and slightly oaty.
Palate: It may be an oxymoron to say this this is both pleasingly thick on the palate, yet light feeling. It’s got enough peat to please you, yet the anCnoc style you may already know shines through. Green apples, vanilla pods and a vague touch of mossy medicinal peat. Bubble gum notes?
Finish: Fresh and reasonably long with just a slight tannin note coming through the sweetness from the oak.
Water: Not really needed, but brings forward even more sweet notes.
Thoughts: Very enjoyable lightly peated drop of summer fruity goodness! Someone described this as smoky apple pie. Quite a flexible dram that goes from one place to another, which makes it good value for money as you get your moneys worth. Suggestions during the Tweet Tasting were along the lines that this would go well with a BBQ with fish.

“RRP for Rutter is £52 in the UK”

Available: Master Of Malt £51.25

anCnoc Flaughter

“This features 14.8 ppm phenol and matured in a selection of American oak casks. A richer, more dominant peat character leads the flavour profile with notes of creamy vanilla, sticky toffee and green apple freshness providing balance.”

Colour: Similar/Same light yellow to gold as Rutter.
Nose: Somewhat similar to Rutter in smell, a wee touch more smoke maybe… still quite sweet, although maybe more light brown sugar, so a little more depth in that respect. With time more smoke comes through, so the increased PPM here is helping. Green and yellow apples. A small hint of farm but generally crisp and fresh. No bubblegum sweetness here.
Palate: Full and a slightly darker than Rutter, which is great, a slightly later in the evening type of dram… and in fact the higher peating levels work well here, there’s a slight earthy moss to the sweet brown sugars.
Finish: Sweet, spicy and long!
Water: A wee drop works fine, it reduces it a touch bringing out sweet pineapple notes.
Thoughts: Another belter of a dram, maybe not quite as smooth, but you don’t want that with the extra PPM anyways! A touch more autumnal than Rutter (or at least more of an evening dram anyways).

“RRP for Flaughter is £52 in the UK”

Available: Master Of Malt £51.25

anCnoc Tushkar

“This is the most peaty of the three with a phenol content of 15 ppm. Matured in 1st refill American ex-bourbon barrels it offers a great balance between intense smokiness and the rich and rewarding influence of very active oak. Spicy vanilla heart is wrapped in overtones of orange peel, apples and cut flowers. anCnoc Tushkar is available exclusively in Sweden.”

Colour: Same as above!
Nose: Although there’s more phenols this doesn’t seem overly more peated or smoky, but the flavours on the nose are quite different… more honey, more subtlety, redder apples (rather than green apples), brown sugar.. a less bright sweetness if that makes any sense. Desiccated coconut and cola cubes.
Palate: Rahter similar to the nose… there’s defo coconut, and what some have described as jelly tots (sweets). It’s fairly light but fills your mouth with a great oil covering, and although the most heavily peated you wouldn’t particularly think that.
Finish: Nice and long, fresh, a little zingy and perfectly balanced.
Water: A small touch of water is ok and brings out green apples more.
Thoughts: What a shame this isn’t available in the UK because I think it’s my favourite! 🙂

“Tushkar will exclusively retail for 449SEK in Sweden”

Available: Not yet available in the UK (that may change one day, keep an eye out!)

Over all thoughts on the night… A great peaty delight of whiskies. A shame Tushkar isn’t available in the UK, if it were that’d be my number one pick I think, but between the other two, Rutter has it for me tonight, I like it’s lightness.

Many thanks to anCnoc for the samples.