Knockdhu Old & Rare Single Cask #57030 & Cadenhead Knockdhu 12 Year Old (Authentic Collection October 2025)

Knockdhu Old & Rare Single Cask #57030

Region: Speyside

ABV: 48.8%

Price: £372.00

An interesting aside for those unaware: Knockdhu Distillery was founded in 1894 in the Highlands of Scotland near the village of Knock, named after the nearby Knock Hill (“Cnoc Dubh” in Gaelic, meaning “black hill”). For many years, the whisky produced there was sold under the distillery’s name. However, in 1993 it was rebranded as AnCnoc (Gaelic for “the hill”) to avoid confusion with Knockando, another distillery with a similar name.

This particular release comes from Hunter Laing’s Old and Rare series. Distilled in May 1991, it was matured for 32 years in a refill barrel, with an outturn of just 158 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with an abundance of fruit, including freshly chopped bananas, peaches, strawberry yogurt, and apricot jam. Behind these, there are hints of candy floss, ginger ale, orange peel, marmalade, and icing sugar. Surprisingly, there’s less woodiness than expected for its age, and at this ABV, it’s very approachable and easy to nose.

Palate

On the palate, we find much the same notes as on the nose, apricot jam, strawberry yogurt, and tropical fruit squash. These fruity notes fade into ginger and cinnamon spice on the mid palate that stays for a decently long finish. The mouthfeel is slightly thin, and while the flavours are pleasant, they dissipate too quickly for our liking.

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose remains fairly similar, but now there are additional notes of bananas, reminiscent of foam banana sweets. The apricot note shifts to fresh apricots, and there’s an added sweetness of caramel and marshmallows, along with a touch of dunnage warehouse must.

Palate (with water)

With water, the palate shows less spice but gains a slight orange rind bitterness. The tropical fruit notes from the nose are still present, now complemented by hints of vanilla essence and caramel. The finish remains the same length, as does the mouthfeel. The sweeter notes linger a bit longer now, though a touch of that bitterness also persists.

Conclusion

We would have guessed this to be in its twenties, but there’s definitely some complexity here. As we sit with it, a range of interesting flavours becomes apparent, making it easy to enjoy. Personally, we prefer this with water, as it brings out a bit more cask influence with dilution. While it’s a solid dram, we’d like to rate it higher, but the finish pulls it down a notch for us.

Score: 7/10

Value

It’s definitely on the expensive side, and we would have liked to see it priced lower, but the price point is not unreasonable when compared to other independent bottlers.

Cadenhead Knockdhu 12 Year Old (Authentic Collection October 2025)

Region: Speyside

ABV: 55.0%

Price: £65.00

Finished in an Amontillado cask since 2020 and bottled in October 2025 at cask strength for Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection. 288 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens a little tight, showing pear drops, acetone, sour cherry and fresh fig. The spice from the alcohol is minimal just showing as a little pepper spice. With time and patience some red cola, milk chocolate and prunes starts to appear. It’s pleasant but a touch simple.

Palate

The palate has toffee, milk chocolate buttons and roasted coffee, with a touch of ginger spice that takes over from the sweeter notes on the medium length finish. Cola and prunes appear with time. The mouthfeel is decent and has a little texture, though that late spice is a little distracting.

Nose (with water)

Water has helped to open the nose up, and we’re now getting some Robinson fruit cordial, and Tizer, but the trade off is these notes are pushing the other pre dilution notes into the background. Still a pleasant nose, but it’s become more one dimensional.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has gained some dark chocolate, a little extra upfront spice, peanut butter and burnt brown sugar. All these notes linger on the still medium length finish. The mouthfeel has held up, and personally we wouldn’t say that water has opened this up so much as changed it.

Conclusion

Whether it is better with or without water is debatable. Both the diluted and undiluted palates offer enjoyable flavours. Dilution adds a little more sweetness that lingers on the finish, but the nose becomes less interesting. Either way, it’s a solid, if slightly uninspired, dram.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

We probably sound like a broken record, but Cadenhead price the majority of their releases very competitively.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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