anCnoc was hard at work in recent months with quite a few releases (the 35 year old, a few Peter Arkle even one for Duty free), and now this brand new 22 year old. So, what’s different in this one? anCnoc 22 Year Old was matured predominantly in American ex-bourbon casks but some Spanish casks seasoned for two years with Oloroso sherry were also used, to add a further dimension. Usually i find the bourbon cask anCnocs better (like the duty free Arkle which is lovely), but a nice sherry kick might be interesting here. having heard only good things about it in the past week (takes some time for lousy Israeli mail to deliver samples), i sat down and tasted it the same day it arrived. let’s dive:
anCnoc 22 yo , 46% ABV , £85 
Nose: sweet with some pear, vanilla, sweet and warm wood with some sour notes too: lemon, unripe green apple peel, spice. After some time getting some butterscotch.
Palate: oily and viscous feel to it. Starting its sweet malty, caramel ( the good caramel , right? no worries whisky geeks.) spicy. Cereals and sandalwood. Sweeter with some sherry notes , almonds and vanilla and traces of lemon and ripe oranges and some oak: not too much but quite noticeable, and adds a lovely dimension to it all.
Finish: Polished oak, Semi-sweet sultanas and hint of prune.
One of the best OB anCnocs I’ve ever had. it’s really a notch better than the 16 and the vintages to date. good work, and now it’s high on my wish list for purchases for this year. Highly recommended.
Score : 89/100
official sample provided by Alembic Comms (representing anCnoc)