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6th October 2020 |
Review of the
new anCnoc Peatheart Batch 2
 The
Knockdhu distillery which produces
anCnoc single malt whisky was
established back in 1894 and was no
different to other Scotch whisky
distilleries of that time, it used
locally sourced peat to fuel the kiln
which was used to dry out the malted
barley and at the same time the peat
also imparted a distinctive aroma into
the barley which contributed to the
character of the final whisky.
Like other distilleries Knockdhu moved
to more modern fuel sources in their
whisky production and peaty style anCnoc
whisky became a distant memory, that was
until 2004 when the good folks at anCnoc
decided to take a big step back in time
and set about producing a heavily peated
spirit in homage to anCnoc's peaty past.
In 2014 the distillery reintroduced peaty style anCnoc whisky with the launch of a
limited edition series of peaty single
malts which all took their names from
traditional peat cutting tools, well
they soon run out of peat cutting tool
names and decided to launch a more
permanent expression of peaty anCnoc
with the launch in 2017 of Batch 1 of anCnoc
Peatheart.
Almost three years on and the Speyside
whisky maker has released anCnoc
Peatheart Batch 2, just like the first
batch it has been produced using a
peated barley with a phenol content of
"40 PPM". It was then matured in
American Oak ex-bourbon barrels, it has
been bottled at 46% ABV, non
chill-filtered. naturally coloured with no age
statement but Gordon Bruce, Distillery
Manager at Knockdhu told me this
afternoon during a live zoom tasting of
the new Peatheart it is around 14 years
old which after tasting I would agree
with.
Gordon explained that the new Peatheart
Batch 2 is true in flavour and character
to the inaugural Batch 1, but with
intriguing differences that will delight
whisky lovers. He said: "Despite having
the same PPM as Batch 1, slight
variations in maturation mean that our
second Peatheart bottling offers
something a little bit different, with a
more refined smoky character. The
combination of fresh, fruity anCnoc
notes with these more mellow peat
flavours creates a wonderful modern
whisky that will be enjoyed by whisky
fans across the spectrum".
anCnoc Peatheart Batch 2 is a release of
10,200 with a RRP of £52 and you will
find it available from specialist
online whisky retailers such as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop and
Master of Malt
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anCnoc Peatheart Batch 2 Review
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William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Creamy vanilla caramel, a lemon, pear
and green apple fruit mix all infused
with a lovely gentle sweet peat smoke.
Taste:
The creamy vanilla caramel from the nose
leads but then suddenly, bang, the
headlined peatheart shows itself with
sweet peat smoke filling every corner of
the mouth keeping anCnoc’s signature
flavour notes of honey and lemon playing
second fiddle.
Finish:
Long, sweet peat infused honey and lemon
eventually fades to leaving some lovely
lingering gentle oak spice and a wee touch
of liquorice.
Comment:
Loved it, the peat is tamer on the nose
than anticipated given the headlined
40ppm but of course that is the phenols
measurement of the malted barley used to
produce the whisky, I would guess that
the whisky in the bottle after
distillation and the years of maturation
is likely around 16-20ppm. Its Peatheart doesn't start
fully beating instantly on the palate then bang it
is there accompanied by some lovely
signature anCnoc honey, lemon and a
touch of oak spice. Another quality
peaty dram from anCnoc.
SMW Score
91/100
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