Distillery Insight

Knockdhu Distillery

Home of anCnoc whisky, a Highland single malt produced at Knockdhu Distillery near the village of Knock, just outside Keith.

Distillery Insight: Knockdhu and anCnoc

Knockdhu Distillery sits near the village of Knock, just outside Keith, in the heart of Scotch whisky country. Although the distillery itself carries the Knockdhu name, its single malt is better known to drinkers as anCnoc.

The distinction matters. When Inver House acquired the distillery in 1988, the whisky was released under the anCnoc name to avoid confusion with Knockando, another established Scotch whisky name.

In Their Own Words

In 1877, Scotland’s largest grain distillers [Cambus, Cameronbridge, Carsebridge, Glenochil, Kirkliston and Port Dundas] joined forces to found the Distillers Company Limited [DCL] as a way of safeguarding their business against pot still distillers who at the time were switching between malt and grain depending on where the best profits were to be made.

In 1893, it made its first move outwith its Lowland grain heartland and built a distillery next to the village of Knock, just outside Keith, the first move in the creation what was to become the dominant player in Scotch whisky (DCL would eventually evolve into Diageo), encompassing grain and malt production as well as blending houses.

The site was chosen by DCL founding member John Haig & Sons because of its railway links, supply of local barley and availability of peat, and remained in the DCL stable until it was mothballed in 1983, one of many sites the firm had to close when the ‘whisky loch’ was at its deepest.

Its ownership passed to Inver House in 1988, who soon had a single malt on the market. This was called AnCnoc, rather than the distillery name, which Inver House felt was too similar to the already established Knockando.

In recent years Inver House has created a wetland area outside the distillery where the distillery’s spent lees is treated. A range has now been established, with 12, 16 year old expressions at its core, supported by Peated Sherry Cask & 10 Year Old Peated.

A Distillery Built for Whisky

Knockdhu was established in 1894, following DCL’s decision to move beyond its Lowland grain distilling base and into malt whisky production. The location was practical: railway links, local barley and access to peat all made the site well suited to whisky-making.

The distillery’s equipment reflects a traditional production set-up, with a semi-lauter mash tun, eight Oregon pine washbacks and one wash still paired with one spirit still. Both stills are described as wide-shouldered pots with small boil balls and tall heads.

The anCnoc Style

anCnoc is principally associated with unpeated malt, clear wort and a relatively long fermentation time of 65 hours. Those details help shape a spirit that is approachable but not anonymous.

The core range has included age-stated releases such as 12 and 16 year old expressions, with peated releases adding a different side to the distillery’s character.

Why It Matters

Knockdhu is an interesting example of a distillery whose name and whisky identity have travelled slightly different paths. The production site carries the historic distillery name, while the bottle has built its recognition under anCnoc.

That gives the whisky a useful point of difference: heritage without shouting about it, and a house style that has found its own audience among drinkers who enjoy Highland whisky with clarity, balance and character.