Knockdhu

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > K

THE KNOCKDHU

12 years old

40 %
The Knockdhu Distillery Co,
Banffshire

KNOCKDHU

14 years old

40%
Distilled 1974
Bottled 1988
Proprietors:
James Munro & Son Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

KNOCKDHU

21 years old

57,5%
CNOC DUBH
Cask Strenght
Limited Edition
6200 numbered bottles
Knockdhu Distillery, Banffshire

To make the perfect malt whisky, four ingredients are essential: pure fresh water, barley, peat and time.

Knockdhu Distillery was founded in 1894 in the shadow of Knock Hill. Ar certain times of the year, the hill appears black when seen from a distance, its heather-clad flanks magically transformed by some chance of soft light, wind and weather. Hence the name Knockdhu from the Gaelic Cnoc Dhubh, meaning Black Hill.

From the southern slopes pf Knock Hill flows water of the purest quality, drawn from springs high on the hillside.

From the fertile farmlands of the nearby County of Moray comes the rich barley that im¬parts its character to the spirit.

From the encircling hills and mountains comes the peat whose warmth aids the malting process inbuing the whisky with a delicious, lightly smoke flavour.

Once these ingredients have been combined and twice distilled, time does the rest. Knockdhu 21 years Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky has spent at least 21 years maturing in oak casks. As with people, time allows the spirit to further develop its character, tem¬pers its youthfull fire with the mellowness of age and imparts colour and body to the whisky. The long, patient years have yielded an exceptionally smooth whisky with a full, rich palate and an aromatic, smoky finish.

Speyside
THE KNOCKDHU also see AN CNOC

FRESH, CITRIC, ELEGANT, FLORAL
Knock, Banffshire. Licentiehouder: James Munro & Son Ltd. Eigendom van United Distillers
Ltd.
Op 10 November 1989 wordt The Knockdhu gekocht door Inver House Distillers.
Inver House
Ontstaan door een management - buy - out, onder leiding van Bill Robertson en Angus Graham, die € 8,2 miljoen investeerden.
November 2001 werd Inver House voor E 56 miljoen gekocht door Pacific Spirits, onderdeel van de op de Virgin Islands gevestigde Great Oriole Group van de Thaise zakenman Charoen Sirivadhanabakdi.
Manager van Pacific Spirits is Ooi Boon Aun.
Robertson en Graham ontvangen samen E 37 miljoen en ook de 130 medewerkers ontvangen geld, sommigen € 50.000.
Inbegrepen in de koop zijn de vijf distilleerderijen Knockdhu, Speyburn, (Old) Pulteney Balblair en Balmenach.

1893

Distillers Company Limited (D.C.L.)

start construction of Knockdhu
Architects are Gordon & Machey

from Elgin
1894

Production starts in October
1894

Management of Knockdhu is transferred

to Distillers Agency
1930

S.M.D. = Scottish Malt Distillers takes

over production
1931

Knockdhu closes
1933

Knockdhu reopens
1983

Knockdhu closes in March
1988

Inver House Distillerstakes over

Knockdhu from United Distillers
1989

Production restarts on 6th February
1990

First official bottling of Knockdhu
1993

Knockdhu becomes a new name:

An Cnoc
2001

Pacific Spirits (Great Oriole Group)

buys Inver House Distillers price:

$ 85.000.000
2003

New introduction An Cnoc with

new packaging
2004

An Cnoc 1990 and 14 years old is

launched
2005

An Cnoc 30 years old Limited Edition

is launched
An Cnoc 1991 and 14 years old is

launched
2006

International Beverage Holdings takes

over Pacific Spirits U.K.
2007

An Cnoc 1993 is launched
2008

An Cnoc 16 years old is released
2011

An Cnoc Vintage 1996 is launched
2012

An Cnoc 35 years old is launched
3 Peter Arkle ( an illustrator) Limited

Editions are released
2013

An Cnoc 22 years old is released
An Cnoc Vintage 1999 is launched

2 Peter Arkle ( an illustrator)

Limited Editions are released

2014

A Peated Range released: Rutter,

Flaughter, Tushkar, Cutter.

2015

A 24 years old released, a Vintage 1975,

Peatlands, Black Hill Reserve, Barrow

2016

A Vintage 2001, Blas, Rudhan are released

2017

A Vintage 2002 and Peathart released

2019

A 16 year old CS released

2020

Capacity: 2.000.000 Ltrs

Ouput: 1.700.000 Ltrs

included 200.000 Ltrs heavily peated

Most single malt whisky from Knockdhu

goes in the blend Hankey Bannister

2021

Vintage 2009 released

Water: Knock Hill
Mash tun: 1 x 4.2 tonnes
Wasbacks: 6 x 20.700 litres
Wash still: 1 x 10.350 litres
Spirit still: 1 x 9.500 litres

Internally, it is a mix of the old and new. The mash tun has a lauter system, but the washbacks are wooden, while the distillate is condensed in worm tubs.

The new make is heavily sulphury as little reflux is encouraged in the stills, but when that cooked vegetable element both flies off and is absorbed into palate weight, the dominant character is citric and intense. Fresh and vibrant when young, its weight allows it to mature well.

In recent years, a heavily peated variant has been made.

In 1877, Scotland’s largest grain distillers [Cambus, Cameronbridge, Carsebridge, Glenochil, Kirkliston and Port Dundas] joined forces to found the Distillers Company Limited [DCL] as a way of safeguarding their business against pot still distillers who at the time were switching between malt and grain depending on where the best profits were to be made.

In 1893, it made its first move outwith its Lowland grain heartland and built a distillery next to the village of Knock, just outside Keith, the first move in the creation what was to become the dominant player in Scotch whisky (DCL would eventually evolve into Diageo), encompassing grain and malt production as well as blending houses.

The site was chosen by DCL founding member John Haig & Sons because of its railway links, supply of local barley and availability of peat, and remained in the DCL stable until it was mothballed in 1983, one of many sites the firm had to close when the ‘whisky loch’ was at its deepest.

Its ownership passed to Inver House in 1988, who soon had a single malt on the market. This was called AnCnoc, rather than the distillery name, which Inver House felt was too similar to the already established Knockando.

In recent years Inver House has created a wetland area outside the distillery where the distillery’s spent lees is treated. A range has now been established, with 12, 16 and 21-year-old expressions at its core, supported by annual vintage releases.

1877

Scotland's largest grain distilleries

join forces to create Distillers Company

Limited

1893

DCL constructs a distillery in Knock

and begins production the following year

1930

Scottish Malt Distillers assumes control

of Knockdhu

1983

Knockdhu has a good run but is closed

due to lack of demand

1988

Inver House Distillers purchases

Knockdhu and reopens it the next year

1990

The first official bottling of Knockdhu

single malt is released

1993

A second brand from the distillery,

Ancnoc, is introduced

2001

Pacific Spirits acquires Inver House

for $85m

2006

International Beverage Holdings buys

out Pacific Spirits UK

2014

The first peated Ancnoc appears in the

form of the Peat Cutter range

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

1.75

CONDENSER TYPE i

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME i

60hrs

FILLING STRENGTH i

69%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

HEAT SOURCE i

Steam

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Mainly unpeated, HP malt phenols

at 48 ppm

MALT SUPPLIER i

Crisp, Boortmalt

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi lauter

NEW-MAKE PHENOL LEVEL i

28-35ppm

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

69%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

20%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

14,300

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Wide shouldered pot, small boil ball,

tall head.

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

16,600

STILLS i

2 (1 wash, 1 spirit)

WAREHOUSING i

One racked and three dunnage

warehouses

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

11,300

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Wide shouldered pot, small boil ball,

tall head.

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

12,000

WASHBACK CHARGE (L) i

22,600

WASHBACK SIZE (L) i

30,000

WASHBACK TYPE i

Wood

WATER SOURCE i

Four springs from Knock Hill

WORT CLARITY i

Clear

YEAST TYPE i

Mauri Pinnacle cream

Inver House Distillers

1988 - present

United Distillers

1986 - 1988

Distillers Company Limited

1893 - 1986

KNOCKDHU MARKS ANNIVERSARY WITH ANCNOC MALTS

August 2019

Knockdhu distillery’s anCnoc whisky has released two new limited edition single malts – a cask-strength 16-year-old and a no-age-statement peated expression – to celebrate the distillery’s 125th anniversary.

anCnoc limited edition 16 Year Old Cask Strength and Peat

Happy birthday: Knockdhu distillery has marked its anniversary by offering ‘something for everyone’

AnCnoc’s Limited Edition 16 Year Old Cask Strength has been matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks before being bottled at 56.3% abv.

Said to ‘combine traditions from the distillery’s past and present,’ the whisky is said to be full of ‘sweet vanilla’ notes with ‘coconut and butterscotch’ flavours on the palate.

AnCnoc Peat has been matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks before a secondary maturation in Spanish oak butts – said to give the whisky a ‘deliciously sunset gold colouring’ – before being bottled at 46% abv.

Said to take the drinker on ‘a journey to Banffshire’s rich peatlands’, the whisky is said to be a ‘stunning, smoky sweet dram’ with ‘burnt toffee’ notes.

Gordon Bruce, Knockdhu distillery manager, said: ‘To be celebrating 125 years of making exceptional whisky is a real achievement – I’m lucky to have a seat at the helm of the distillery in such an exciting year.

‘It was really important that, to mark this special year, we could offer something for everyone, and I think we’ve done just that.’

Only 500 bottles of each expression are available from specialist retailers in the UK, with anCnoc’s Peat priced at £80 and the 16-year-old priced at £100.

Both whiskies are housed in packaging depicting notable iconography from the distillery, such as the distillery’s pot stills, the nearby Knock Hill landmark and Bramble the distillery dog.

Founded in 1894, Knockdhu was mothballed for a period in the 1980s before changing hands and resuming production in 1989.

All Knockdhu single malt whisky has been officially bottled under the anCnoc brand since its launch in 1993.

INVER HOUSE DISTILLERS

Company Overview

Founded in 1964, Inver House Distillers is the Group's wholly owned Scotch Whisky subsidiary. Within its portfolio there are five distilleries - Pulteney, Balblair, Knockdhu, Speyburn and Balmenach - each producing its own distinctive, individual single malt whisky.

Inver House is also highly active in the warehousing and blending of Scotch whisky, with its main warehousing and head office being centrally located in Airdrie. This is perfectly placed to service the international marketplace with warehousing for 500,000 barrels of whisky plus state of the art blending and laboratory facilities.

Inver House produces more than just whisky, currently distilling the premium brand, Caorunn Gin at Balmenach Distillery and also produces vodka brands from its Airdrie site. From its range of whisky, gin, and vodka Inver House invites you to enjoy this unrivalled collection.

Company History

Inver House Distillers was established in 1964 as a subsidiary of the American company, Publicker Industries. In the 1970's the Scotch Whisky industry faced competition from other spirit categoreis and coupled with the death of its American Chairman, Publicker Industries did not focus its business interests in its Scottish subsidiaries. As a result of this, the malt and grain distilleries at the Scottish site in Airdrie became surplus to requirements and were closed in 1985 and 1986.

The substantial warehousing, blending and office facilities all remained, and do so to this day, as do the state of the art Gin, Vodka and Cream Production Facilities.

However, following the takeover by the management team in 1988, and the revival of the Scotch Whisky industry, Inver House Distillers purchased 5 highly regarded malt distilleries over a period of 9 years. Since then Inver House has gone from strength to strength in its commitment to a worldwide market. This continued commitment was recognised in 1992 with the granting of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement.

In October 2001, Inver House entered a new chapter when it was purchased by Pacific Spirit (U.K.) Ltd, now International Beverage Holdings Limited (InterBev) - the international arm of Asia's leading drinks business, the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev) with an outstanding portfolio of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and beer categories.

Being part of a larger group ensures the company's continued success in an increasingly competitive market place.

A small traditional malt whisky distillery established in 1894 located right

on the boundary of Aberdeenshire. The distillery water is supplied from

springs on the nearby Knock Hill. Unusually, the single malt whisky is not

named after the distillery but is bottled as anCnoc, part of the Inver House

Distillers group.

Our Malts

Core range is 12, 16 and 22 year old, anCnoc.

Limited edition releases such as the 35 year old, Peter Arkle collection, annual

vintage bottling as and when available

Opening Times

Office hours are Mon to Thur 08:00-17:00 hours, Fri 08:00-12:00 hours

Visitor Facilities

Limited visitor facilities

Guided Tours

By appointment, arranged in advance

Admission Costs

No charge but a donation to charity is appreciated

Private Tastings

May be available on request

Shop

Limited selections of products are available at the distillery (please note there are no

credit/debit card facilities)

Online: www.ancnoc.com

How to Find Us

Turn off the A96 onto the B9022 just west of Huntly. Continue on this road for

9 miles then turn left at the sign for Knock