AnCnoc Rascan Review
In-Depth Review
Before we jump into this review, the first thing to get out of the way is a little pronunciation. AnCnoc is pronounced “a-nock” – clearly such an issue that they put it right on the bottle. But once we are past how to pronounce it, we can dive into what makes this lesser-known Highland whisky so fascinating. AnCnoc is produced at Knockdhu distillery, a Highlands distillery opened in 1894 and located 15 minutes east of the town of Keith. Founded by John Morrison, Knockdhu distillery operated until 1931, when it was closed temporarily. Production resumed in 1933 and production has resumed on and off till this day. Named after the Gaelic word for “the hill”, AnCnoc is produced in the shadow of “Black Hill”, known in Gaelic as Knockdhu. So now that we have completely come full circle, let’s dive into today’s pour.
Today, we are going to be exploring one of AnCnoc’s peated single malt expressions named Rascan. Named after the tool used to break up the top level of ground during peat harvesting, Rascan is a non-age stated product from Knockdhu. Rascan was discontinued in recent years but can still be found on some shelves. It features a PPM of 11.1, 46% ABV, and is non-chill filtered and features natural color. On paper, all of these specs seem incredibly promising. And with an MSRP of around $65, seems reasonably priced for a non-age stated peated expression. I picked up this bottle from K&L in Hollywood during a massive clearance on Rascan that saw the price drop below $30. For that price, I couldn’t resist. So, let’s dive in and taste how the Highlands do peat.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 46%
Cask: American and Spanish oak
MSRP: Around $65
Distillery Name: Knockdhu Distillery
Review Date: 8/10/24
Color: Sauvignon Blanc
Nose: The nose starts off with waves of sweet peat, heather, honeysuckle and vanilla cream. It has some bits of umami from the 11.1 PPM, but leans more heavily into the sweeter side of peat. The smoke is clean, approachable, and inviting.
Palate: On first sip, the peat washes over your tongue before giving way to white chocolate, cereal, floral, and honey. It maintains a clean minerality to it, with a clean and crisp bite that is more reminiscent of white smoke than the thick oily charred meat flavors that you can sometimes get from Islay peated expressions. After a few sips, more cotton candy sweetness pokes through, with a touch of strawberry and lemon. While not super heavy or thick, the mouthfeel does have some good weight to it, and never feels thin.
Finish: Medium to long finish with another wave of peat that comes on for the finish and lingers with more heather, vanilla, and a touch more oak than the palate.
Final Thoughts: AnCnoc Rascan is a great pour for those looking for a cleaner style of peat than what an Islay expression would normally provide. Rascan is delicate and after a few sips, the smoke takes a back seat. The wood influence is very subtle here, and lets the clean, peated spirit take center stage. I wouldn’t go as far as to say this is a good “entry point” for people wanting to explore peat (because the smoke is still strong), but it’s a great way to experience the more subtle Highlands style of peated scotch whisky. It’s also hard to deny that a part of this good score can be attributed to me getting this bottle for under $30. But even on the its merits alone, Rascan would do very well. But regardless, this was an absolutely incredible steal at $30. K&L strikes again.
