Annandale Vintage 2015 Man O’ Words Ex-Bourbon Cask 152 - 59.7%

From the distillery website

Appearance- light golden hue

Nose- beautifully sweet notes on the nose of cream soda, pear drops, fresh green Granny Smith apple.

Palate- wonderful burst of tropical fruits including mango, pineapple and cool fresh melon leads on to lingering notes of vanilla and creamy caramel.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Straw colour, forms a thin line which beads and falls as very slow, thin legs.

Nose: Sweet and floral, pear drops, green apple and honey.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, quite malty, vanilla, caramel, tropical fruit, lemon zest, green apples and chilli spice. Water adds a layer of creaminess, in addition to bringing out more of the tropical mango and pineapple notes. 

Finish: Spicy, lingering notes of caramel and vanilla with a hint of oak.

Summary: A pretty impressive whisky, despite the evident youthfulness of the spirit there is an air of maturity about it. The character from the new make is evident, and combines with the influence of the ex-bourbon cask to produce a light, sweet malt with a delicious, oily mouthfeel. Bottled at cask strength, for me this is a whisky which really responds to a little water, bringing out tropical fruit notes whilst adding an air of creamy luxury to the mouthfeel. 

These bottlings tend to be priced at around £120, which seems a little on the high side despite the quality of the whisky.

If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Annandale distillery, follow the link to the company website.