Annandale Man o’ Sword
From the distillery website
For nearly two centuries, Annandale Distillery has stood as a testament to the enduring craft of whisky-making. Over three eras of ownership, it experienced a remarkable journey—including a 90-year hiatus. Today, in its fourth era of whisky production, Annandale thrives under the dedicated stewardship of Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church. Following an extensive restoration, they have safeguarded this historic distillery, ensuring its legacy endures for generations to come.
Today, Annandale produces both peated and unpeated single malt whiskies, crafted with the utmost care and dedication to quality. Every drop tells a story—of tradition, innovation, and the deep connection between the land, the process, and the people who make it all possible.
Two Expressions of Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Smooth and mellow, Man O’Words is Annandale Distillery’s Unpeated expression inspired by local figure Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Bard.
Man O’Sword is Annandale Distillery’s peated expression, smoulderingly smoky and named after the Seventh Lord of Annandale and King of Scots, Robert The Bruce.
Annandale Man o’ Sword Ex-Bourbon Cask - 57.7%
From the distillery
This pale gold single cask whisky from Annandale Distillery has been matured in a Fresh Ex Bourbon cask, allowing the purity of the distillate to take centre stage.
Cask 607 - distilled 2015 and bottled in 2023
Tasting notes:
Appearance: New gold in colour, forms a thick line which falls gradually as thick, oily legs
Nose: Sweet barbecue smoke, vanilla, green apples, furniture polish, roasted pineapple and peanut skins
Palate: Soft, creamy mouthfeel. Ashy woodsmoke, vanilla sauce, lemon citrus, green apples, oak shavings cinnamon and a touch of old leather. Water brings more vanilla and nutty oak
Finish: Woody oak, charred lemon, dry earthiness and a touch of cooling mint at the close
Overall: It’s ok, but feels a little too raw and unwelcoming. As such, it’s not a bottle I would buy.
——————
Annandale Man o’ Sword Ex-Oloroso Sherry - 60.3%
From the distillery
Matured in a 500 litre sherry cask, this Man O’Sword single cask from Annandale Distillery reveals a rich and structured character shaped by both oak and peat. The larger cask allows the spirit to mature gradually, building depth while preserving the vibrant fruit character at the heart of our whisky.
Bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or added colouring, this expression reflects the individuality and integrity of a single Annandale cask.
Cask 1091 - distilled 2017 and bottled in 2023
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Tawny in colour, coats the glass forming a thick line which falls initially as an inverted crown before turning into thick, oily legs
Nose: Soft ashy smoke, booze soaked dried fruit, vanilla fudge, sweet tobacco, charred beef ends, poached orchard fruit, pencil shavings and a touch of cinnamon
Palate: Full, oily mouthfeel. Dried fruit, Nocello, and oak spice. Water brings a little more dried fruit in addition to tannic oak
Finish: Long and lingering. Astringent, woody oak, tobacco leaf, cinnamon and clove oil
Overall: Strong, sweet profile, with a hefty dose of oak tannins mixed in. Intense, bordering on overwhelming, but still interesting and better with a little water.
Annandale Man o’ Sword STR Ex-Red Wine Cask - 60.5%
From the distillery
Matured in a shaved, toasted and recharred ex Burgundy wine cask.
Bottled at natural cask strength with no chill filtration and no added colouring, this award winning single cask captures Annandale’s peated style at its most expressive.
Cask 374 - distilled 2017 and bottled in 2023
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Amber colour, forms a thin line which beads before falling as thick, oily legs
Nose: Soft, mildly phenolic peat with a touch of oily rag, vanilla and milk chocolate dipped strawberries
Palate: Mouthcoating and creamy. Milk chocolate caramel toffee, Neapolitan ice cream, gentle peat smoke, cinnamon and cracked black pepper. Water brings tannic oak and a little more pepper
Finish: Becomes more oaky and astringent, together with cinnamon and black pepper heat
Overall: Great mouthfeel and a good amount of complexity for a relatively young whisky. Easy to drink neat, my preference is that this is better without water.
——————
Summary:
As with the unpeated Man o’ Words bottlings, the STR cask was by far my favourite of the three expressions. The cask influence has added a layer of complexity and creaminess lacking in the ex-Bourbon casks expressions, and the oak tannins are noticeably reduced compared to the Oloroso cask. Given a choice between the peated and unpeated versions, I would have to go for the Man o’ Sword expression due to the extra layer of complexity brought by the smokiness.
As always with Annandale, their sales model of only bottling single casks means there are always likely to be variations with bottlings from the same type of cask. As such, the notes here may differ significantly when compared to a similar bottling from a different cask number. It’s an interesting model, and somewhat unique, but the lack of consistency and continuity means you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get.
As with the Man o’ Words, these whiskies currently fall into the price range of £75-85, not bad value and far better than a few years ago when they were significantly above £100.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Annandale distillery, follow the link to the company website.
Transparency: Received free of charge for independent review, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.
