Knockando Scotch 1966 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Knockando Scotch 1966 Single Malt Scotch Aged 12 years Season 1966 bottled 1978 75cl Rare Find !!!!!!knockando single malt scotch In Gaelic, Knockando (Cnoc-an-dhu) means "little black hillock". The distillery sits on a tree-covered hill that overlooks a sweeping panorama of the Spey river. It is a relatively new single malt scotch, having been exported only since 1977. The distillery was constructed in 1889. The somewhat unusual ages at which Knockando can be found is due to the long-standing practice/philosophy of bottling the single malt casks only when they are deemed to be at their peak maturation, as opposed to bottling the single malt scotch automatically at certain ages. This same philosophy dictates that the use of sherry casks is deliberately kept to a minimum in order to preserve the delicate flavor of the Knockando single malt scotch whisky. One can find three "brands" of the Knockando. Each retains the "Knockando style", but each having a different profile, which is determined by the length of time that it is matured.Foremost among the distilleries along the banks of the chill, clear waters of the Spey stands Knockando. Built by John Thompson in 1898 the Knockando distillery lies in the village of the same name, derived from the Gaelic Cnoc-an-dhu, meaning little black hill.In 1904 Knockando Distillery was purchased by W & A Gilbey's - the well known gin producers from London. Today Knockando is part of Diageo's Classic Malts Selection.Only natural ingredients are used - malted barley, yeast and crystal clear spring water from the Cardnach spring, which lies in the hills above the distillery.The quantity of peat used in malting the barley is carefully controlled so as not to overbalance the taste of the final product and the proportion of sherry casks used is restricted so as to not dominate the taste of the whisky. The pale, golden colour of Knockando is entirely natural. It is derived solely from the casks in which it has matured “ casks held together without nails or glue. No colouring is ever added “ it is for this reason that the depth of the colour in successive bottlings may vary.Knockando distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery, located in Knockando, Moray, in the Strathspey whisky producing area of Scotland.Knockando Distillery was built by John Tytler Thomson in 1898, and is named after the village in which it stands. The name derives from Scottish Gaelic Cnoc an Dhu, meaning "Little Black Hill". The village is home to a few other small houses and the larger Knockando House, and is surrounded by woods in which there are buzzards, Red Squirrel and Roe Deer.In 1904 the distillery was purchased by W & A Gilbey, a gin producer from London, becoming part of J&B / Grand Metropolitan in the 1960s and 1970s, and is now owned by multinational firm Diageo.Knockando was the first distillery in Scotland to be built with electric lighting. In 1905 it was linked directly to the Great North of Scotland Railway, which connected Grantown-on-Spey with the main towns of north-east Scotland. Cottages for distillery workers were built nearby, as well as a house for the Customs and Excise Officer. The distillery curr1ently lies near the disused Tamdhu Station, very close to the beginning of the Speyside Way. The railway has long since been dismantled.Knockando Distillery is home to a famous selection of casks which went into the J & B Ultima blend in 1994 to celebrate the quincentennary of Scotch Whisky. This blend contained 128 different whiskies (116 Malt & 12 Grain) and 1 of each of these casks is still maturing in the Warehouse.Time is another key element, as gentle maturation in oak casks slowly reveal the subtle aromas: delicate with a distinctive fresh almond note in its younger versions, it gains weight and depth of flavour over the years. The final result is a subtle, fruity single malt which bears all the hall marks of the finest Speyside malts.Although distillation continues throughout the year, each year of production is still referred to as a Season at Knockando distillery. In each bottle you will only ever find the produce of one single Season - a practice which continues to distinguish Knockando„ from almost all other single malts. Thus, when the young spirit is brought to the warehouse, the Season of distillation is marked on the end of the cask. And when it is ready to be bottled, it is duly inscribed on the bottle and the gift box together with the year of bottling."We tend to choose casks that are at their peak. On occasion this means that one bottle will differ subtly from another “ but the distillery character remains the same". Innes Shaw, Manager, Knockando Distillery. Knockando also contributes to several malts, especially the Justerini and Brooks J&B blends.