Knockdhu 10 Year (2006), Cadenhead’s
Whisky: Knockdhu 10 Year (2006), Cadenhead’s
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 56.5%
Cask: Refill Bourbon
Age: 10 Years (Distilled 2006, Bottled 2017)
Nose: Lemon rind, herbal tea, and green apples. A bit prickly and spirited on the nose with orchard fruits, cider, and hints of black pepper. Subtle pear, honey, and butter arrived between notes of crisp apple sauce— a day at the cider mill turned into a day at the lumber mill with slightly bitter oak and fresh cut beechwood.
Palate: Medium-bodied and oily with orchard fruits, honey, and subtle spice. Crushed green apples, bruised pears, sweet lemons, and sticky honey washed over the palate. Undertones of black pepper and tobacco appeared as a lovely oiliness built. Toward the end were beechwood, mace, and honey notes with hints of cinnamon and salt. Apple blossoms and mildly astringent apple cores lingered at the end.
Finish: Medium-length orchard fruits with a mellow astringency that built with time.
Score: 5
Mental Image: Lumberjack’s Cider Hobby
Notes: I had only encountered Knockdhu once before this, an anCnoc from SMWS with an intriguingly meaty “hotdog” profile. So I was curious about this pale yellow small batch from Cadenhead with a Knockdhu label. I figured it was an ideal chance to try the distillate with minimal cask influence, which should allow the character of the malt to shine.
Owned by Inver House Distillers— who also control Old Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn, and Balmenach—the distillery has been an important blending malt for much of its existence. Over the past several decades, Inver House has worked to cultivate a more visible single malt portfolio; however, besides Balblair or Old Pulteney, I cannot say I see many of those distilleries outside of the odd independent label (such as this one from Cadenhead’s).
This Knockdhu was not bad, but it lacked a lot of character. I would describe it as a generic scotch that vibed with the flavor profile of other Speyside mainstays. Waves of orchard fruits carried more subtle hints of citrus, spice, and tobacco. The flavor profile was safe, though a tad hot and heavy for the otherwise crisp apple notes. I thought a few drops of water helped bring balance but further simplified the flavors.
Certainly a nice sipping whisky, one that I thought went nicely with a cube or two of ice, but not particularly interesting or savory otherwise. Orchard fruits are not my favorite— and I suspect fans of Balvenie or Glenfiddich would find a lot more to love here. If you love apple notes, Knockdhu might be worth a closer look.
Image Credit: Whiskybase
