ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is ripe fruits and dusty vanilla. At first it’s all about ripe red apples, ripe bananas and thick vanilla custard. The age is showing through with a dusty layer sitting on top of all the main flavours. A touch of oak together with marzipan and a maltiness makes this a very rich overall experience. After a while it becomes floral with heather as the main contributor. There’s also a thin layer of fruitiness coming through from the ex-sherry casks. It’s a brighter note with red berries but also a touch of raisins. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: The start is very musty, dusty and just a touch spicy. A somewhat unexpected asparagus note comes first and is soon joined by a thick maltiness and dusty old bookshelves. After a few seconds honey, anise and a muted fruitiness arrives. It’s not as fruity and not as floral as the nose. Ripe apples are still the main fruity element. The oak starts to shine through and it’s got a character of old, grey wooden planks that’s been sitting in the rain.

Finish: It starts out with the same asparagus note, but soon changes towards the fruitiness and the floral notes again. Heather, ripe apples, honey, anise and the old dusty notes linger for a while before it moves towards the oakiness. It’s still the grey oak planks. There’s a small bitter tone coming through, but it fits perfectly within the oakiness. It seems like the fruitiness adapts to it and switches towards grapefruits and orange peel after a while. The finish is very long and very pleasing to the palate. This is a well made whisky. It’s great, but not fantastic.

Additional information
This Knockando 21 YO was bottled in 2014, which actually makes it 23/24 years old. It’s aged in a combination of ex-sherry casks and american ex-bourbon barrels.