The new anCnoc Blas Scotch, just released by the Knockdhu distillery in Scotland’s Speyside region, is a very trendy whisky. That’s not a judgement on what it might taste like, but rather a statement of fact: the release is a collaboration project with Scottish fashion designer Patrick Grant, who designed the packaging for this non-age statement expression.
Blas, according to the distillery, means “taste” in Gaelic. It is a reflection of Grant’s tastes, if you will, in that he spent over a year “designing the bespoke print used on the packaging, and had a little help from anCnoc fans, who took to social media in October 2015 to submit images and messages which inspired the final design.”
“I spent a lot of time at Knockdhu not only taking in the landscape and surrounding areas, but getting to know the people that work there and the methods that they use,” said Grant in a statement. “Everything in the print is from the hill, the village of Knock or within the distillery itself and tells the story of the making of Blas. I’ve tried to interpret anCnoc’s history and tradition in a modern way, and hope this is translated through the aesthetic of the bottle.”
Now, should you want to know more about the actual whisky inside, it is a 54% ABV offering drawn from Scotch matured in Spanish and American oak barrels and bottled without coloring or chill-filtration. Official tasting notes for this golden-colored spirit are below, and should you choose to hunt down a bottle expect to pay around £50 (about $75 USD).
Nose: Densely sweet and fruity, with notes of lemon and candied orange peel. Tones of bitter chocolate and vanilla add complexity and weight.
Taste: Full-bodied and oily. The initial burst of warm lemon tart is followed by notes of rum raisins and dark chocolate. A hint of freshly cut grass adds freshness and balance. The finish is long and satisfying with a bitter-sweet cocoa aftertaste.
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