There are few things more frustrating for a whisky lover than watching a distillery quietly dismantle the very expressions that made it worth championing. That is exactly the situation I find myself in with AnCnoc.
This 2024 release of the 18-year-old is one of the last before the brand decided to axe both the 18 and the 24-year-old, replacing them with a lineup bottled at either 40 or 43% ABV. That is, frankly, very disappointing. So the real question is this: at 46 percent and available not so long ago for around $100, is this dram still worth hunting down?
Let me be honest right off the hop. I preferred the previous versions of this whisky. The older releases leaned more heavily on bourbon casks, and you could see it in the lighter colour and taste it in the balance. This 2024 edition, judging by its noticeably darker hue, appears to lean far more on the Spanish oak, and that shift has changed the character. Where the old AnCnoc 18 had a real dynamism that I genuinely fell in love with, this one trades a little of that complexity for a richer, fruitier profile.
That said, do not mistake my critique for a poor verdict. On the nose, this is beautiful, absolutely loaded with orchard fruit: red apple, ripe peach, plum, and red fruit throughout. It benefited enormously from time in the glass, having improved considerably since I first opened it months ago.Johnnie Walker unveils Blue Label Indian Festive Blend with couturier Rahul Mishra
The palate follows through nicely. It drinks older than its years, exactly as an 18-year-old should, with plum, peach, and apple leading the way. There is nothing here to complain about. It simply lacks the last bit of magic its predecessor had.
All of this feeds a bigger reflection. We have spent the last few years able to buy the AnCnoc 18, the Aultmore 18, and the Speyburn 18 for around $120-$130, and I suspect we will look back and regret not stocking up by the case. If I were retiring to an island somewhere and choosing daily sippers to keep in bulk, this would make the list. For the record, I would still give the edge to the Aultmore 18 for sheer dynamism, but this remains excellent value.
My final mark is an 87, possibly an 88, and I may be a touch harsh only because I know how good the old one was. Well done, great price, but a sad sign of where the line is heading. Which discontinued whisky do you wish you had stocked up on?
To see my full tasting and hear my thoughts, check out my YouTube video.
Read the full article at The AnCnoc 18: A Great Whisky Overshadowed by a Disappointing Direction
