Annandale Whisky – The Great Drams Comprehensive Review
If there’s a whisky region that I don’t cover anywhere near enough on the Great Drams blog, it’s The Lowlands. That’s about to change as this week, I’m going to be looking at a few exceptional drams from Annandale Distillery.
If there’s one thing I love, it’s when a once-silent whisky distillery is brought back from the dead. That’s part of the reason why Annandale whisky appeals to be so much. Originally founded in 1836, by an Excise man no less, it ceased whisky production in the 1920s and was actually used to produce another Scottish staple, porridge, until the distillery was deemed unfit for purpose.
Fast forward to 2014, and thanks to an ambitious husband and wife team, the distillery was purchased, renovated, refurbished, and restored after being purchased in 2007.
The distillery sells both peated and unpeated whiskies. The peated is sold under the name Man O’ Sword, after King Robert the Bruce, the 7th Lord of Annandale. Their non-peated drams are sold under the name Man O’ Words, after Scotland’s national poet Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns, who himself was once an Annandale exciseman.
Here’s a quick look at four of their most popular drams.
The first dram we’re going to look at today comes from Annandale’s Man O’ Words range. For those who weren’t paying attention earlier, that means that it’s an unpeated dram.
Distilled back in 2017, this whisky was aged in a single European oak Oloroso sherry cask, before being bottled in 2023 at a cask strength of a fiery 61.5% ABV. If You want a dram that puts hairs on your chest, this is the whisky for you.
Non-chill filtered, the whisky has a gorgeous natural chestnut amber hue to it.
On the nose, strong notes of sherry make their presence felt. There’s figs, dates, walnuts, and dried fruits with sweet honey undertones. Maybe even stewed apples and morello cherries.
On the palate, more sweet, nutty, slightly spicy sherry notes here, with more than a hint of sweet oak. It’s rich and amazingly full-bodied, with notes of treacle tart, autumn spices, toasted hazelnuts and caramel, with a light dusting of cocoa powder.
The finish is silky smooth and lengthy, with more sweet and fruity spice notes. In particular, heavily sherried iced Christmas cake shines through here, along with that old oak wisdom I like to talk about. You can really taste the sherry influence here, long after that first mouthful. This would make a fantastic dram to enjoy with your Christmas pud.
Up next, another unpeated dram, or should that be dream, from their Man O’ Words range, this one aged in ex-bourbon casks.
Another cask strength, this one has a marginally lower ABV than its predecessor, coming in at “just” 60.6% ABV.
Distilled in 2016, this whisky is much paler than the sherried expression, and has a glorious light golden straw colour. Matured exclusively in an American oak ex-bourbon cask, it’s one of the most complex whiskies you could wish to taste. It’s certainly not what I was expecting, especially from a dram matured exclusively in bourbon casks.
On the nose, you get light and floral notes, with lemon balm and lavender shining through first. Then comes the fruity aromas, with orange zest and poached pears proving the most dominant. There’s also a light toasty aroma to it, with a whisper of honey thrown in for good measure. Very crisp and fresh smelling this one.
On the palate, you pick up chocolate-coated hobnob biscuits and buttery Scottish shortbread, along with a light taste of sweet oak. Next comes the bourbon influence, as you get caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, and toffee apple. There’s a malty, earthiness to this dram which I found most pleasant.
The finish is medium in length and surprisingly spicy. Freshly baked ginger cookies and golden syrup flapjack will linger on your tastebuds long after you swallow. These are complimented by a hint of candied orange peel and chocolate-lime sweets, with a hint of cinnamon. Delish!
For those of you who like your whisky peated and smoky, Annandale’s Man O’ Sword range is what ye seek.
I’m a big fan of doubled oaked whiskies, as when done right, they impart all manner of different notes and flavours into the whisky. When talking about double-oaked casks, Woodford Reserve bourbon is the one name that immediately springs to mind.
This peated dram has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks which once held Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey. The barrels used to produce this bourbon have been both charred and toasted, helping to impart more sweet oaky notes into the whiskey.
Bottled at a cask strength of 61.4% ABV, this peated dram has a rich amber copper colour that shimmers when the light catches it just right.
On the nose, you know you’re dealing with a peated malt right away. Along with the smoky, peaty aromas, you also get a light medicinal scent, complimented with burnt orange peel, candied walnuts, and ripe summer berries.
On the palate, not as much smoke as the nose would have you believe. It’s still there, but it’s subtle, and I’m all for it. There’s a touch of smoke, cherry jam, vanilla, spicy oak, and hot honey.
The finish is warm and lingers. Hints of spiced oak linger on the palate, complimented by pecan and maple syrup, with a sweet and smoky finish.
Man O’ Sword STR Cask
And finally, we have Man O’ Sword STR Cask.
The late Dr Jim Swan is a man that needs no introduction in the whisky world. Widely regarded as one of the greatest whisky consultants to ever live. A real pioneer in the world of whisky and booze in general, he helped shape the industry as we know it today. He was also instrumental in getting Annandale back up and running.
Jim was also responsible for the STR (shaving, toasting, re charring) cask. Here, red wine casks were shaved, toasted, and re-charred to help bring out natural sugars, tannins, and flavours in the oak. Annandale have used this cask here with their peated whisky, resulting in one of the most complex drams one could wish for.
This 58.8% ABV whisky has a wonderfully deep walnut brown colour to it. Seriously, I’ve seen lighter coffees. It looks lavish and decadent.
On the nose, the peat smoke smacks you right in the face. There’s a distinct scent of bonfire ashes and smouldering barbeques, along with fruity red wine notes. There’s a lightly medicinal scent to ne enjoyed here, with a hint of chilli jam.
On the palate it’s more fruit than smoke. If it’s red and it’s a fruit (other than a tomato) chances are you’ll taste it in this dram. In particular, I picked up a lot of ripe cranberries and raspberries. Then comes the sweeter notes of toffee and honey, with creamy malt undertones. But what about the smoke? Don’t worry, it’s there. I picked up smoky, honey-cured bacon and maple syrup here, with toasted oak right at the end. Wow!
The finish is medium-long and has plenty of red wine characteristics to it. I was tasting red grapes and dried fruits long after swallowing. There’s a great mouthfeel here thanks to the rich oaky tannins. A light pipe tobacco smoke flavour lingers on your palate, complimented by sea salted caramel. Lovely stuff!
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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