Knockando 12 Year Old (Managers Dram)
70cl / 59%
£189.00
- Malt type: Single Malt
- Region: Speyside
- Chilfiltered: No
- Coloring: No
Tasting Notes
Lemon, Vanilla, Sherry and Oak
Dark Fruit, Seawater, Toffee and Black Tea
Long Finish,Dates, Wet Oak and Raisins
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Staff-only 2012 Diageo Manager’s Dram Knockando, 12 years old, bottled at natural 59% from a single cask, just 1,200 bottles.
At-a-Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Distillery / Bottler / Country & Region | Knockando Distillery / Speyside, Scotland |
| Category | Single malt Scotch whisky |
| Age / Vintage / Bottled | 12 Years Old / Bottled September 2012 for the Manager’s Dram |
| ABV & Size(s) | 59.0% ABV / 70cl |
| Cask / Treatment | Single cask selected by Diageo/UDV managers (exact cask type not publicly stated, but notes point to ex-bourbon with some rich fruit and spice) |
| Natural Colour | Yes (iconography in some listings indicates uncoloured) |
| Non-Chill-Filtered | Yes (iconography in some listings indicates NCF) |
| Cask Strength | Yes, natural |
| Bottle count / Outturn | 1,200 bottles |
| Intended channel | Internal Diageo staff sale (Manager’s Dram) only |
| Packaging | Standard Knockando-style bottle with Manager’s Dram text; no elaborate box stated |
| Notes on discrepancies | Some retailers write “Managers Dram 2012 12yrs old 70cl 59%”; all show 1,200-bottle outturn and 59% so can be treated as one release |
Historical Context
The Manager’s Dram series began in the late 1980s within SMD/UD/Diageo as an internal perk: distillery managers submitted their favourite casks, the group tasted them blind, picked a winner, and bottles were offered to staff on the strict understanding they were not for public sale. Over the decades this produced a run of very serious single casks at full strength from distilleries that otherwise did not release such things. The Knockando 12 Year Old bottled in September 2012 is one of the more recent of these: a Speysider better known for gentle 12-year-old bottled at drinking strength suddenly shown at 59% in single-cask form. With only 1,200 bottles, it was never a high-volume item, so today it sits on specialist sites in the £250–£330 zone.
Technical Specification & Variant Map
2.1 Documented variants
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Knockando 12 Year Old, The Manager’s Dram, bottled 09/2012, 59% ABV, 1,200 bottles.
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Same bottling offered by multiple UK retailers at £250–£330.
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Auction house entries listing the same 2012 12yo Manager’s Dram with individual bottle numbers.
Variant Matrix
| ABV | Volume | Market | Era cues | Relative desirability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59% | 70cl | Diageo staff / UK secondary | 09.2012 bottling, 1,200 bottles, Manager’s Dram label | Core / only |
| 59% | 70cl | Specialist retail | Same bottle, marked-up price | Condition-led |
| 59% | 70cl | Auction | Same bottle, bottle number shown | Condition-led, price often lower than retail |
2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist
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Label must contain: Knockando, 12 Year Old, Manager’s Dram, bottled 09.2012, 59% ABV.
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Bottle number out of 1,200 often printed; show it in your product photos.
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No box is normal; if a box is present, mention it as it improves giftability.
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Because Manager’s Drams were meant for staff, provenance matters; auction listings often mention this in the description.
2.3 Regulatory/terminology notes
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Genuine age statement (12 years).
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Natural cask strength (59%) at 70cl is the defining technical feature.
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Listings indicate uncoloured and NCF; do not add colouring/filtration claims to the copy.
Liquid Profile (from verifiable notes)
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Nose: Bright citrus and orchard fruits, banana, vanilla and honey, richer than standard Knockando because of the cask strength.
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Palate: Full, spicy, toffee and dark fruits, honeydew and vanilla, with a firm alcohol structure at 59%.
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Finish: Long, satisfying, with cinnamon warmth and lingering fruit.
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With water: Takes water very well; a splash opens the honey and fruit and softens the spice.
Pricing & Market Dynamics (GBP)
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Original RRP: internal staff pricing only, not publicly stated.
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Current UK retail range (incl. VAT): £250.00 (Hedonism Wines) to £330.00 (Whiskys.co.uk), with several retailers at £275.00–£299.99.
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Recent UK/EU auction range (hammer): not consistently published for this exact 2012 bottling, but Manager’s Dram single casks of similar age and scarcity usually clear below current retail asks, especially bottle-only.
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Pricing stratification: retailer-priced bottles with pristine condition at £275–£330 at the top; bottle-only auction wins below; anything with label scuffs discounted.
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Liquidity & sourcing note: Manager’s Drams have a steady Diageo-staff/collectors following, so clean bottles offered at or just below £300 will move.
Price Snapshot
| Channel | Date | Bottle spec | Price (GBP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK specialist retailer | 2025 | Knockando 12yo Manager’s Dram, 70cl, 59% | 250 | Lower end of retail band |
| UK specialist retailer | 2025 | Knockando 12yo Manager’s Dram, 70cl, 59% | 275–300 | Typical current shop price |
| UK specialist retailer | 2025 | Knockando 12yo Manager’s Dram, 70cl, 59% | 330 | Upper retail ask for pristine stock |
Distillery/Bottler Snapshot
Knockando (Speyside, founded 1898) is a key malt for J&B and normally appears as an easy 12-year-old at 43%. The Manager’s Dram bottling shows how good the spirit can be when left at natural strength and chosen by people who know the warehouses. Being part of the long-running Manager’s Dram line also adds a collectable angle that standard Knockando OBs do not have.
Sourcing
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Target: 2012, 12 Years Old, 59%, 1,200 bottles, label pristine.
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Photograph bottle number.
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Avoid: bottles with heavy scuffing, or with unclear year/ABV (there are no genuine 40–46% Manager’s Dram versions of this Knockando).
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Buy when you can land it under £230–£250; list £275–£320 depending on condition.
