Knockdhu 2006 - 14 Year Old - Alexander Murray

Knockdhu is a Highland distillery whose clean, high quality single malt whisky is officially bottled as An Cnoc, due to the perceived likelihood of confusion with the Knockando distillery. Inver House bought Knockdhu in 1988 from Diageo forerunners United Distillers, who had mothballed the distillery in 1983. Production at Knockdhu began again in 1989 and Inver House introduced the An Cnoc name in the early 1990s for a shortlived 12-year-old official bottling. 

After reverting to the Knockdhu name for a pair of highly-regarded 21-year-old and 23-year-old official bottlings at the turn of the millennium, the An Cnoc brand was given a transformative overhaul by Inver House for a hugely successful relaunch in 2003. A variety of vintage and age statement bottlings have appeared since, alongside several no-age-statement bottlings and even some peated whiskies. Independent bottlings of Knockdhu are relatively rare.

Alexander Murray Co. is an independent whisky bottler based in California. The company was founded by Scotsman Steve Lipp in 2004 and named after his great uncle, who gave him his first taste of whisky and encouraged his interest. Lipp had worked in the industry in Scotland prior to establishing his company in the USA.

The majority of Alexander Murray’s bottlings are sold locally in the American market but some do turn up in Europe from time to time. The company releases its products at various strengths from 40% up to cask strength, with the emphasis on the latter in recent years. Alexander Murray Co. also bottles their own proprietary single malt lines including the Kirkland Signature range and the Monumental brand blended whiskies.