Tasting notes for two Knockando 1980s vintages

Exactly three years ago I woke up on castle grounds, in a beautiful suite with a big bed, an empty Champagne bottle on the floor, clothes everywhere, and my wife in my arms. It was the day after our wedding. Our limited amount of guests were scattered all over the region. It was the days of pandemic, but we still managed to turn our wedding into an unforgettable event. An event in which my passion for whisky also had a prominent place. A few months earlier I placed a bid on a bottle of Knockando from the birthyear of my then still fiancé. Since I already owned a bottle from the same Speyside distillery from my birthyear, I got the idea to open both bottles and serve the whisky to my guests during dinner. And so we did. Today I present to you my tasting notes for these bottles.

Knockando has been releasing vintage stated whisky for many years now, which makes the brand an excellent go-to whisky for intentions such as described above. A big plus too, is that Knockando is apparently not the most wanted whisky in the world. On auction you can easily find vintages as far back as the 1970s for reasonable prices. For these bottles, you have to calculate the age itself, by reading on the label when the whisky was bottled. In later years, age statements were added, especially on the Slow Matured 18 years old and the Master Reserve 21 years old. Recently, I have seen the vintages disappear, with the age statement remaining. I hope Knockando goes back to their old practice soon, it has a particular charm. But since the distillery had some dry spells in recent years, let us first hope it stays active.

Knockando 1980, bottled at 43 % abv

Makeup: This Knockando was distilled in 1980 and bottled in 1995, making it a 15 year old, more or less. The bottle has a label with German text, stating Weltmarken Import, Wiesbaden. We also read no colouring is added to Knockando. The bottle is packed in a square box.

General impressions: Quite a fruity kick-off with bready tropical notes. Barley, corn and peaches. Finally, also a big dose of vanilla. Talkative at 43 % abv, and very fresh. The taste is very light, leaning towards watery, and quite flat. Mostly based on malty notes, sweet vanilla and woodiness. The finish has a nice hint of tobacco. I am afraid, with the bottle being almost empty since my wedding guests downed it three years ago, the whisky suffers a little from oxidation. I remember it having a bit more red fruit, when I tasted it after opening the bottle.
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Conclusion: Good malty stuff, or as the label says “Pure Single Malt”. Back then and today still, Knockando is the ultimate every day drinking dram. The bottle prominently mentions Justerini & Brooks, from the well-known J&B blended whisky. With Knockando, you indeed taste the backbone of a good blended Scotch.

Score: 82 points

Knockando 1987, bottled at 43 % abv

Makeup: This Knockando was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 1999, making it a 12 year old, more or less. The bottle has a label with German text, stating Weltmarken Import, Wiesbaden. We also read no colouring is added to Knockando. The bottled is packed in a round tube.

General impressions: This bottle did not shake the character of “OBE” (old bottle effect). In this case, that is a good thing, because it adds a layer of complexity. Hints of spices, soup bouillon cubes, some pale dry sherry too. Quite fun to wrestle with. The taste is a bit bitter and even has a hint of soap, but again, oxidation is a big influence here. In the basis, there is a lot of malty flavours, doing its soul justice. The finish is long and warming, and elegant at the same time.

Conclusion: Decent single malt whisky. When obtaining these old bottles, I suggest you invite a couple of friends, and conquer the bottle in one evening. You will have a good time.

Score: 81 points

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