Knockdhu Distillery (anCnoc), Aberdeenshire: Modern Malt, Old-Fashioned Craft
Knockdhu (anCnoc) at a glance
| Region | Highland (Knock, Aberdeenshire) |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Owner | Inver House (ThaiBev) |
| Visitor centre | Yes — by appointment only |
| Tours | Intimate appointment-only tours & tasting |
| Opening | By appointment (not walk-in) — check the website |
| Website | ancnoc.com |
Overview
Knockdhu, below Knock Hill in Aberdeenshire, makes the single malt sold as anCnoc — a clean, fresh, modern-styled whisky from a small, traditional distillery that still does much by hand. The brand name (Gaelic for “the black hill”) was adopted to avoid confusion with Knockando.
The history
Knockdhu was built in 1893–94 as the first malt distillery constructed for the mighty Distillers Company (DCL), on land bought from the Duke of Fife. It has been owned since 1988 by the independent Inver House, who relaunched its whisky under the anCnoc name.
The water & the land
Knockdhu is made with spring water from Knock Hill.
Knockdhu had no founding clan — it was DCL’s commercial venture on land bought from the Duke of Fife (the Duff family), at Knock in Aberdeenshire.
Visiting
Knockdhu offers intimate, appointment-only tours with a tasting — there is no walk-in centre, so book ahead; check the website.
Nearby & more whisky
- Another Aberdeenshire distillery: GlenDronach
- Also in Aberdeenshire: Glen Garioch
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Knockdhu distillery — Wikipedia.
- anCnoc / Inver House.