Monday, September 01, 2014

ANCNOC LAUNCHES ITS PEATIEST SINGLE MALT TO DATE

The latest expression from anCnoc’s collection of limited edition peated malts was unveiled in Edinburgh last night, as whisky enthusiasts gathered under cover of darkness to share a midnight dram of the smoky new single malt.

anCnoc ‘Cutter’ (46% ABV) is officially released to the global market today but as the clock chimed to greet the 1st September launch date last night, an intimate group of anCnoc friends and fans stayed up late at the city’s Last Word bar to enjoy a first taste and toast the arrival of this much anticipated new release.

'Cutter' - anCnoc's peatiest expression to date

anCnoc launched its peated collection earlier this year with three expressions of varying peat strength - ‘Rutter’, ‘Flaughter’ and ‘Tushkar’ - aiming to help drinkers find a peaty dram to suit their palate and to ‘shine a light’ on the dark, enigmatic world of peat.

With drinkers embracing the new collection , the ‘Cutter’ launch marks the start of a new anCnoc tradition which will see a new peated expression unveiled every year on 1st September, alongside a midnight celebration of anCnoc’s dark and mysterious side.

Matured in ex-bourbon casks ‘Cutter’ is the most peated of anCnoc’s single malts to date, with a phenol content of 20.5 PPM (parts per million). Light gold in appearance, it has an intense, thick and oily smoke structure on the nose which reveals a sharper, more medicinal phenolic layer with a piercing burst of fruity ripe peaches and just a touch of oak. It has an ashy taste, with slight apple-core bitterness and notes of leather and spicy vanilla lingering at the back, accompanied by sharper notes of pink grapefruit and ripe orchard fruits. A long, elegant finish brings a kaleidoscope of spicy and peaty notes that die out with a juicy burst and a loud call for another sip.

The new whisky’s traditional yet contemporary packaging retains the striking dark green glass bottle of the first peated releases but this time features a traditional ‘cutter’ peat tool emblazoned in silver on the pack’s distinctive black label and tube design.

anCnoc Assistant Brand Manager Stephanie Bridge commented: "Given the popularity of anCnoc as a contemporary, easy drinking malt whisky, we are thrilled with the reception our new dark, peaty side has had amongst drinkers since we launched the collection back in April this year. We wanted anCnoc’s peated malts to find their way to the many people out there who love whisky but think that peat is not for them, and initial feedback shows that we are starting to build the appeal of a peated dram amongst our drinkers which is good news. We are delighted to have Cutter join this exquisite collection, bringing a slightly smokier, stronger peated option that has all the quality, character and taste that every whisky made at Knockdhu distillery enjoys. The 1st September is now officially anCnoc Peaty day and a date to put in the diaries of whisky fans in years to come."

anCnoc ‘Cutter’ will be available from specialist retailers from September 1st for a RRP of £52.

Source: Inver House Distillers