anCnoc is a soft Highland single malt with delicious flavours of baked apples and black tea. anCnoc whisky is produced in the Knockdhu Distillery, which is located in the border area between the East Highlands and the Speyside region of Scotland. Due to its location and the lack of clearly defined Speyside boundaries, anCnoc is sometimes categorised as Speyside and sometimes as Highland whisky. The name of the single malt was changed to anCnoc to avoid confusion with the Knockando Speyside single malt. anCnoc is an underrated, high-quality Single Malt Scotch that combines the softness of Speyside and the aromatic richness of the Highlands.

Names are smoke and mirrors.

Usually, a single malt is named after the distillery it comes from. This was also the case with Knockdhu for 100 years. Until 1993, when it was decided to sell the whisky under the name "anCnoc" (Gaelic for "The Hill"). This was to avoid confusion with the Speyside malt "Knockando". It is worth noting, however, that it was the Knockdhu that gave up its name. This is because the Knockdhu distillery has been around for five years longer than Knockando - and so the older rights would actually have been held. And a mix-up would perhaps not be so unfavourable from a marketing perspective. After all, its colleague Knockando is quite popular and is marketed intensively by owner Diageo...
But that's not how they think at Knockdhu. They are rightly proud of their own character and want to emphasise this. That's a good thing.

What is Knockdhu or anCnoc like? The Knockdhu Distillery is located in the Eastern Highlands, not far from the border of the Speyside region. In fact, anCnoc whisky is sometimes categorised as Speyside whisky and sometimes as Highland whisky, depending on the definition of the Speyside borders. anCnoc probably counts itself among the Highland whiskies.

What does Knockdhu mean? Knockdhu means "black hill", derived from the Gaelic.

3 reasons to love Knockdhu/An Cnoc

1) Because tradition is independent of names.
2) Because "anCnoc" also sounds nice - and tastes good.
3) Because the place name "Knock" is so memorable.

What does anCnoc whisky taste like?

The anCnoc is a very fine, smooth single malt with fruity notes of green apples, black tea and vanilla flavours. Basically a scotch for everyone.

Our anCnoc recommendation

We recommend the anCnoc 12 years, a wonderfully mild, fruity single malt, to get to know it. If you prefer a fuller flavour, go for the anCnoc 18 years.

A little history on anCnoc

The distillery was built in 1893 by John Morrison in the small village of "Knock" near Huntly, just outside the Speyside region. Knockdhu was the first of many distilleries of the DCL (Distillers Company Limited) and was mainly intended to supply the Haig blends.
In 1898, during the great whisky boom, additional warehouses were built due to the strong demand.
In the 1930s, Knockdhu was then closed for some time. Production was also halted during the Second World War due to the associated grain rationing.
In 1960, the technology was upgraded: The distillery horse was replaced by a tractor. Until then, it had pulled the coal for firing the pot stills from the railway station to the distillery. When it rained, however, the animal was left in the stable and men with wheelbarrows had to take over the work.
Knockdhu was closed in 1983. In 1988, Inverhouse Distillers bought the disused distillery and resumed production in 1989.
Since 1993, Knockdhu's single malt has been marketed under the name anCnoc.

Figures & Facts

Address: Knock, by Huntly , Aberdeenshire AB54 5LJ
Founded: 1893 by John Morrison
Status: active
Owner: Inver House Distillers
Capacity: approx. 2000.000 litres
1 wash still (10,500 l)
1 spirit still (11,000 l)
Water: Springs at Knock Hill
Visitor Centre: Yes
Phone: +44 (0)1466 / 771223
Website: www.anCnoc.com