Knockando 1969-1993 Official 43%

It has a deep aging character, indeed a high-end official bottle. Knockando KNOCKANDO 1969-1993 OB 43% The aroma has a strong woody character with aging depth, sweet caramel and apricot jam, dried persimmon, faint mint and cinnamon roll, with a rich fullness. When drinking, it is soft yet rich, with the sweet depth of apricot jam and good tannins that balance it. The flavor is richer than the alcohol content suggests, with a long finish. [Good/Very Good] Bottled in 1993, this official Knockando 1969 has aged for approximately 24 years. Unlike the short-age Tullibardine bottles, this long-age official version comes in an elegant square bottle. While I love the labels of this era's Knockando, I personally prefer the design of the Tullibardine bottles. Regarding the essential content, it's a type that clearly expresses matured character with a high-end cask influence. The balance between the sweet depth and tannins was well done, giving a sense of depth. As expected from an official high-end release, it has a well-balanced aroma profile. Although water was added, the flavor is rich and full-bodied. On the other hand, Tullibardine bottles from around the same vintage have less cask influence and tend to lean towards estery, fruity directions. They often have a sense of lightness, but this square bottle lacks such characteristics entirely. While I think the earlier bottling of short-age releases is a significant factor, it feels like longer aging with cask influence provides more stability in the aroma profile.