Taste: anCnoc Flaughter

We've arrived at the third of the mystery drams provided by Malt Review. For those unaware this is an ongoing series of dram exchanges, where at the time of tasting we're oblivious to what's in the glass.

This is a great way to experience new whiskies and also let your senses guide you through the dram itself. I'd always encourage others to do blind tastings and if you can even obtain a dram glass that is coloured (thereby removing that initial visual impression) and give that a shot.

This mystery example turned out to be one of the new peated expressions from anCnoc. Earlier this year the distillery launched a trio of peated whiskies and the Flaughter sits in the middle of the range with a rating of 14.8 phenol parts per million. To give you some perspective of the scale Ardbeg is in the 40's and the 5th Octomore was 169ppm. If you're new to peat then this might be a decent place to start before experiencing the big monsters of the genre.  

Distilley: anCnoc
Age: No Age Statement
Strength: 46%
Price: expect to pay around £50

C - oak

N - a mix of mint leaves and peat, clearly this ain't a peat bog monster from the depths but there is just enough present to add body and depth. I like the addition, it retains a freshness without overpowering what else is on offer. A surprisingly level of sweetness exists once we move past the decaying vegetative element. Citrus notes in the form of lemon rind before hay bales and oddly of all things bacon fat!

T - Much sweeter than expected with more lemon, almonds and toffee. Then lime cordial, freshly baked bread and a wafting of smoke. Lovely inoffensive stuff. When I first opened this sample the peat aroma suggested Islay. It just goes to show you the mainland distilleries can look back to their roots in more than 1 way deliver something refreshing and worthwhile.

I know some folk really love their peat and want to push the upper limits of what's possible in a dram with it. These guys tend to overlook what just a finely tuned experience can be delivered with a little care, balance and harmony. This is a very solid dram and one I'd quite happily enjoy on a regular basis only the pricing for a new range and relatively unknown distillery seems a little on the high side and puts them into the same price points as Ardbeg and Lagavulin.. You can read what Malt Review said about the dram by clicking here.