Knockando 18 Year Old

If Knockando 18 were a boxer, it would be a Knock-out.

The distillery of Knockando stands on the banks of the river Spey, which gives its name to Speyside, a region in the north-easteren Scottish Highlands long renowned as the home of finest malt Whiskies. Built in 1898 by John Thompson, the distillery lies in the village of the same name, Knockando, itself derived from Gaelic "Cnoc-an-dhu", meaning "little black hill". Only purest natural ingredients are used to make Knockando: malted barley, yeast and crystal clear spring water from the Cardnach spring, which lies in the hills above distillery.

Knockando does it right, talking softly, but packing a big flavor stick. Seriously, these guys play it cool with almost no marketing. The distillery doesn’t even have one of those oh-so-trendy visitor centers. You should always wonder about that guy who keeps quiet in the back of the room. But once you crack Knockando 18 open, you will realize that this is something a Whisky-lover can contend with.

It’s the complete package. Non-chill filtered and natural color. Boom! A mixture of Sherry and American oak casks. Bam! A full eighteen years of aging. Pow! If Knockando 18 were a boxer, it would be a Knock-out.