An Cnoc 12

About the distillery: An Cnoc (Gaelic for "the hill" and also known as Knockdhu [note: *not* the same as Knockando]) was established in the 1890s, but for much of its history this Highlands Speyside distillery produced malt for blends. It was only in the 1990s (after a closure in the early 1980s) that it began to make official single malt bottlings. It remains a fairly infrequently seen whisky.

Tasting notes: Nose is soft and spicy, becoming fruity with water. Color is medium rich. Body is strong but lightly smooth. The finish is long with a deep penetration. The taste is spicy fruit, smooth, caressing, and subdued. Benefits well from a drop of water, becoming fruity and delicious. This is a proper scotch, very drinkable. It would make an ideal introductory whisky once you've moved beyond the great standards of Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Aberlour, and Macallan. Drinks well at any time, but works nicely after a meal.

You will like this if you like: Aberlour, Knockando, Glendronach.

Rating: taster one, 84; taster two, 79; taster three, 75. Average: 79.

Glen Garioch 15

About the distillery: There has been a distillery on the site of this Eastern Highlands producer since 1785. Glen Garioch closed briefly between 1995 and 1997, so this bottle was from the old owners, who cultivated a more peaty taste than most highlands maltsters.

Tasting notes: Burnt sweet smell; medium length; mellow burnt syrup taste; very smooth, lacking in complexity; shallow finish, rich and flowery but lacking penetration.

You will like this if you like: A mellow islay whisky; a younger Macallan; Dalwinnie 15.

Rating: taster one, 76; taster two, 82; taster three, 79. Average: 79.

Single Malt Whisky Reviews

I love whisky, most especially of the kind distilled in scotland at a single distiller using solely malted barley and aged in oak barrels for 10+ years. Every so often I taste a variety of single malt whisky (scotch whisky), alone or with fellow aficionados. This site will track the results of some of those tastings: our comments regarding taste, smoothness, similarity to other whiskies, and overall ranking. Likely there will be a flurry of posts near the beginning and then it will taper off. So it goes.

Cheers.