Whisky Focus - anCnoc Unveils Sherry Cask Finish Peated Edition & Peatheart Batch 3

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is building on the success of its award-winning peated range with the release of two new peated drams, both of which are set to be a treat for peat lovers the world over.

Launching on 1st July, anCnoc Sherry Cask Finish, Peated Edition and anCnoc Peatheart Batch 3 have been crafted by Knockdhu Distillery Manager Gordon Bruce and his small, skilled team in Aberdeenshire, using the same traditional tools and techniques they use to make anCnoc’s unpeated drams.

Their process pays tribute to Knockdhu’s founders by using the locally sourced barley smoked with Aberdeenshire peat that would have defined the character of whiskies made when the Distillery was founded back in 1894.

Sweeter and woodier than the more pungent peat used for whisky making in other parts of the Highlands and Islands, the resulting anCnoc drams are amongst the most modern, interesting and accessible peated single malts on the market today.

anCnoc Sherry Cask Finish, Peated Edition

A permanent new addition to Knockdhu’s family of acclaimed single malts, this non-aged expression bursts with anCnoc’s soft, sweet, fruity flavours and the delicious vanilla and warm spice of a sherry finish – but with the added richness of subtle, lingering campfire smoke.

The whisky is crafted using a combination of Knockdhu’s peated and non-peated spirit, and after an initial maturation period in American oak casks, it’s finished in sherry butts from Jerez which hone the whisky’s character - as smoky spirit mingles with sweet spicy wood.

anCnoc released its first peated sherry expression in 2020, exclusively for the Swedish market. Its popularity amongst whisky drinkers, particularly those looking to explore peated whiskies for the first time, prompted the decision to craft an expression for anCnoc’s other key global markets.

anCnoc Peatheart Batch 3:

The eagerly anticipated addition to anCnoc's esteemed limited edition Peatheart series, Batch 3, has finally arrived, which I am sure is much to the delight of anCnoc enthusiasts who have been eagerly awaiting its release since the introduction of Peatheart Batch 1 in 2017, followed by Batch 2 in 2020.

The skilled Distillery team meticulously crafts Peatheart whiskies, carefully balancing the use of peated barley. These whiskies are then matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks, allowing the light, honeyed, and citrusy notes of anCnoc to harmonize perfectly with the rich, velvety, and smoky flavours reminiscent of a barbecue.

Batch 3 is said to showcase these remarkable qualities, while also introducing a slightly more pronounced fragrant grassiness, accompanied by heightened notes of green apple and citrus that elegantly cut through the oily smokiness.

In addition, this latest batch pioneers a new approach to help discerning drinkers gauge the level of peatiness in their bottle. It achieves this by providing two ppm (phenol parts per million) indicators: one for the barley and another for the finished whisky. The peat smoke utilized during production imparts a unique phenol level to the barley. For Peatheart Batch 3, anCnoc's Master Blender has selected barley with a 34ppm rating. It is important to note that phenols are lost during the whisky-making process, so the ppm of the whisky itself is the most crucial factor in understanding its peatiness. In the case of Peatheart Batch 3, the whisky registers at 13.3ppm, signifying a bold yet mellower peated dram.

You will soon find the two new anCnoc peated drams available from specialist online whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop, Master of Malt and Hard To Find Whisky
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops

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