Annandale Man o’ Words
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.
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Annandale Man o’ Words Fresh Ex-Bourbon - 58.5%
This whisky has been matured in a fresh fill bourbon barrel, giving it a rich and complex flavour profile. Distilled, matured, and bottled at cask strength from a single cask in Annandale, without chill filtration or added colouring.
Cask 145 - distilled 2015 and bottled in 2024
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Pale straw in colour, forms a thin line which beads before eventually falling as very slow, oily legs
Nose: Vanilla, green apples, lemon citrus, soft caramel sauce and a hint of flaked almonds
Palate: Youthful spirit, vanilla ice cream, Werthers Originals, baked apples, lemon sherberts, mildly astringent oak and chilli heat. With water, more vanilla and apple come through at the expense of a little of the heat
Finish: Creamy vanilla and butterscotch toffee, gentle oakiness, black pepper and ginger spice
Overall: A very straightforward, first fill ex-Bourbon cask whisky. I found this one a little too harsh and raw for my tastes, although better with a little water, there just wasn’t enough character to keep me interested.
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Annandale Man o’ Words Double Oaked Ex-Bourbon - 59.3%
Matured in carefully selected double oak casks, this 2017 vintage Man O’Words whisky from Annandale Distillery reveals a rich and layered character. The double maturation process deepens both flavour and texture, allowing the spirit to develop greater sweetness and warmth while preserving the vibrant fruit character that defines our unpeated style.
Bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or added colouring, this expression reflects the individuality and integrity of a single Annandale cask.
Cask 1559 - distilled 2017 and bottled in 2024
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Burnished gold, forms a thick line which falls gradually as thick, oily legs
Nose: Baked apples dusted with cinnamon, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream and ginger warmth
Palate: Mouthcoating and slightly oily. Carries on from the nose with baked apples drizzled in honey and cinnamon, toasted almonds, caramel sauce, vanilla and tannic oak spice. With water, loses some of the spice but becomes woodier and more astringent
Finish: Ginger, cinnamon and oak spice linger
Overall: Best served neat, much fuller and more rounded than the Fresh Bourbon cask. Interesting whisky, if a little on woody side.
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Annandale Man o’ Words STR Ex-Red Wine Cask - 59.7%
This amber coloured single cask whisky from Annandale Distillery has been matured in an ex Burgundy STR (Shaved, Toasted, Recharred) cask, a process that enhances depth, sweetness and complexity.
Bottled at cask strength, without chill filtration or added colouring, this whisky offers a pure and unaltered expression of its maturation journey.
Cask 338 - distilled 2017 and bottled in 2024
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Tawny/amber in colour, coats the glass forming a thick line which falls initially as an inverted crown before turning into thick, oily legs
Nose: Nut brittle, vanilla custard and a touch of woody oak
Palate: Full, slightly waxy mouthfeel. Butterscotch toffee, vanilla cream, walnuts, oak spice and chilli heat. With a little water, red berried fruit and caramel come to the fore along with ginger, cinnamon and a touch of clove
Finish: Tannic oak astringency, ginger and peppery heat. With water, a little more caramel comes through at the expense of some of the spice
Overall: A really interesting combination of sweet and savoury, runs a little too hot when neat but really comes to life with a few drops of water. The addition of red berry notes from the use of red wine casks brings a very enjoyable extra dimension to the spirit.
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Summary: An interesting range of drams, and one which highlights a big difference between Annandale and many other distilleries. I really struggled with the fresh ex-bourbon bottling in this tasting, but I have previously tried and been impressed by the 2015 Vintage ex-bourbon cask from them. Whilst it’s unclear if that expression was also from a fresh ex-Bourbon cask, in terms of overall character, they couldn’t be more different.
The important point to remember with Annandale whiskies is that their model is to only sell single cask bottlings. Due to the inherent differences between casks there could be significant variations between bottlings. Whilst this may make them fairly unique in their offering, it does make me wonder if it’s possible to develop an immediately recognisable distillery character without that degree of consistency.
Overall, my favourite of the three was the STR red wine cask, the level of complexity and interest on the palate sets it head and shoulders above the other two whiskies.
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.
