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    Home » Highland Scotch

    Published Feb 15, 2019 · Updated Apr 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt review

    Jump to Reviews

    Using worm tubs, a time-tested way to condense spirit vapor during distillation, gives AnCnoc Highland Single Malt its distinctive flavor.

    AnCnoc lineup in bottles on a counter.this …

    When you think about how scotch is made, the process is pretty straightforward: make beer, distill it to a spirit, then age it.

    Of course, there is much more to it than that, and that’s where the diversity lies. So many parts of the process are variables, from the ingredients that go into the mash or the number of times a spirit is distilled, to the types of casks used for aging and the environment of the warehouse.

    One aspect I haven’t really explored is the system for cooling the spirit vapor after distillation (boy, that sounds spooky, doesn’t it!). That’s where worm tubs come in, and where AnCnoc Highland Single Malt scotch makes its distinction from other scotch expressions.

    [Side note: no worms were harmed in the writing of this post]

    Jump To: hide
    AnCnoc, the name
    It's all about the cooling
    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt Tasting
    anCnoc 12yr
    anCnoc 18yr
    anCnoc 24yr
    anCnoc Cutter
    anCnoc Rascan
    Final thoughts
    Related Tasting Notes

    AnCnoc, the name

    First, let’s get the name right. AnCnoc is pronounced “a-nock” and means “the hill.” That pronunciation wasn’t immediately obvious to me, but then I don’t speak Gaelic. The name was changed from Knockdu in 1994 to avoid confusion with another local brand.

    The AnCnoc Highland Single Malt distillery is located in the village of Knock in Aberdeenshire, and opened for production in 1894 (time plays a part in our story).

    a small scone
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    (So, what about those worms?)

    It's all about the cooling

    As I said above, during distillation the alcohol vapor must be converted back to liquid, so a cooling system needed to be used.

    Distillers historically achieved this by coiling the pipe running off the top of the still and submerging it in water so the liquid could be collected (and redistilled if desired). Since copper was an easy metal to mold, that was the metal of choice, even though it was probably more expensive.

    Also, controlling the temperature of the water was more difficult with a worm tub. Who wants to continually re-fill a barrel? So eventually a system of temperature-controlled shell-and-tube condensers was developed, becoming the standard for modern distilleries.

    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt is made using their original style copper pot stills and worm tubs from 100 years ago, something rarely done today.

    Diagram of a still using a worm tub.
    How worm tubs are used. You'll notice...no worms! (photo credit: The Factory Audio)

    One by-product of using worm tubs was that copper sulfates in the pipes lent a distinctive taste to the scotch since it wasn’t removed during the distillation process. The lack of temperature control also affected the new make spirit.

    All this meant that AnCnoc’s expressions had unique characteristics not usually found in those from larger facilities. Using worm tubs today is a nod to the history of scotch making, and AnCnoc is proud of that fact.

    Ok enough about worms, tubs, and history…let’s taste some whisky!

    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt Tasting

    At Gordon’s DTX, January 23, 2019

    anCnoc 12yr

    43%ABV
    Colored and chill filtered, Aged 90% in ex-bourbon casks, 10% sherry casks
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: lemon curd, malty, pine forest, dried hay
    • Taste: lemon zest, pine, med body, barley, pine menthol
    • Finish: licorice at the end
    • Comments: bright and flavorful, so easy to drink

    anCnoc 18yr

    46%ABV
    Non-chill filtered, not colored, Aged 70% ex-bourbon casks, 30% sherry casks
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: orange juice, stewed fruit underneath, lightly minty pine needles
    • Taste: thick, oily, creamy, lemon zest, baking spices of cloves and allspice, ginger, white pepper
    • Finish: the ginger and spices lingers, then joined by menthol warmth
    • Comments: very fruit forward nose, spicier in the mouth, more complex layers, Nicely balanced between citrus and sherry
    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt 12yr & 18yr in bottles

    anCnoc 24yr

    46%ABV
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: plums, raisins, hint of orange peel, citrus, pine needles tiptoe in the background
    • Taste: med body, cooked fruit and cloves, soft pepper, toffee
    • Finish: vanilla toffee with gingerbread
    • Comments: lots of deep cooked fruits layered with honey and ginger

    anCnoc Cutter

    46%ABV
    Peat level 20.5ppm
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: heather peat smoke, clover, earthy
    • Taste: light body, smoke and ash hits, lightly lemon underneath
    • Finish: eucalyptus lasts
    • Comments: the peat really adds so much flavor, fruity flavors really are balanced, really like this one

    anCnoc Rascan

    46%ABV
    Peat level 11.1ppm
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: earthy peat, pine, light whiff of lemon, hay
    • Taste: med oily body, lemon zest, eucalyptus, forest smoke
    • Finish: that lingering smoke lightly evaporates, leaving a whiff of pine in its wake
    • Comments: citrus comes through over the peat, not ashy, balanced and flavorful
    anCnoc rascan, cutter, and 24 in bottles on a counter.

    Final thoughts

    AnCnoc Highland Single Malt is a bigger, heavier style of whisky because of their production process, but it’s wonderful all the same. The combination of their worm tubs and the bourbon cask aging produce expressions that have many layers to uncover and explore.

    More distilleries are starting to incorporate worm tubs into their production for some of their expressions, just underlining the desirability of the process that makes AnCnoc’s lineup unique.

    Here’s to history (and worms)!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Scotland's whisky regions have such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find a scotch I've reviewed from the Highlands. Slainté!

    • Highland Scotch

    More Highland Scotch Tasting Notes

    • Glenmorangie Allta & Ardbeg Drum review
    • Clan Fraser Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky review
    • Compass Box Whiskymaker's Blended Scotch Lineup
    • Fine Scotch Whisky Emporium single malt scotch lineup

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      Recipe Rating




    1. taylozac85 says

      February 15, 2019 at 8:23 am

      Great article, Tammy! Mortlach, Springbank and Talisker also use worms... . Seems they all have great texture to me and are some of my favorites. Interestingly, Ardnahoe, a new, major-production distillery on Islay which Nick and I visited last year, decided to use worms.

      I also love the anCnoc Cutter - really nice highland peat. Cheers! Keep up the great writing!

      Reply
      • scotchscones says

        February 15, 2019 at 9:12 am

        Thanks, Zach! It's nice to know that more distillers are slowing down their production to achieve different textures.

        Reply

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