Annandale recently presented four single cask expressions. We tried their spirit for the first time just a couple of weeks ago, but we noted it had plenty of character. This will be the proper introduction.
Two styles are produced by Annandale: the unpeated Man O’Words (named after Robert Burns) and the peated Man O’Sword (after Scottish warrior Robert The Bruce). In this session we’re looking at the first 10 year-olds from the distillery (unpeated and peated), an unpeated 2018 Fino cask and a peated 2017 STR cask. All of them are part of what they call the ‘core range’, but single casks are essentially ephemeral of course.
Annandale 10 yo 2014 ‘Man O’Words’ (59,7%, OB 2025, refill ex-bourbon cask #121)
Nose: starts sweet, with a mix of vanilla, peaches, pears and lemon candy. Some sunflower oil and gristy notes, which merge into grassy notes. Then some buttery notes come out. Not standing out in any way, at least not for now.
Mouth: punchy, with a creamy fruitiness at its core. More pears, light peach. However this is overtaken by fresh oak shavings and coconut flakes, along with white pepper and clove. Slightly gritty, with more grass and a herbal / floral edge. A tad rough and water doesn’t solve things.
Finish: medium length, on more apple and creamy vanilla.
This leaves a younger impression, in my opinion, it seems the spirit needs more time. Some distilleries achieve a similar profile at a younger age, or offer more complexity at this age. This seems to be sold out already, but there’s another cask #148 available from the distillery and other sister casks as well.
Annandale 2018 ‘Man O’Words’ (61,1%, OB 2025, Fino sherry butt#396)
Nose: more spicy, with cinnamon and ginger(bread), as well as orange peels and hazelnuts. Then a rather high dose of (high toast?) Spanish cedar wood. Drops of cough syrup. Underneath there are lemon notes and menthol.
Mouth: a firm attack, with brown sugar, sweet spices like clove, black pepper and nutmeg, as well as a hint of coffee. Then raisins and plenty of oaky notes. There’s a salty edge as well, which is the first proper Fino note. Leathery dryness towards the end.
Finish: quite long, but mostly on drying spice and leather.
Not exactly Fino-forward, most of the influence probably comes from the oak itself. While the ex-bourbon cask was a bit more accessible, this one has more character in my opinion. Available from The Whisky Exchange for instance. Score: 83/100
Annandale 10 yo 2015 ‘Man O’Sword’ (58,6%, OB 2025, refill ex-bourbon cask #39)
Nose: lots of roasted nuts, smoked almonds and peanuts. Barbecue smoke, ashy bonfire and charred lemons. Some vanilla, buttery shortbread and hints of bread crust. Then some apricot and apple in the distance, as well as some chalk and grist.
Mouth: there’s an immediate wave of warming peat, but somehow it fades rapidly, becoming thinner and increasingly zesty. Charred lemons, vanilla and some leafy notes. Then some liquorice and ginger, along with smoked tea.
Finish: not that long, with lemon, leafy notes and a very light hint of coffee.
I keep saying that peat gives a more mature impression at a younger age. This is really good, never unbalanced or rough. Sold out, except for a few German shops like Whisky-Maniac. Score: 85/100
Annandale 2017 ‘Man O’Sword’ (59,6%, OB 2025, STR red wine cask #379)
Nose: a tad winey at first, but it quickly finds a nice balance. Red fruit candy, along with red apple and raisins. Also vanilla, pipe tobacco and some hints of sweet molasses or aromatic marzipan. The smoke isn’t huge, very well dosed in my opinion. Roasted bell peppers and a hint of glazed ham too.
Mouth: now more deeply smoky, with a rather thick mouthfeel. Sweet vanilla and honey, along with caramelized almonds. Cinnamon buns, smoked herbs and crushed black peppercorns. Just a faint hint of coconut and strawberry candy, along with a touch of over-active wood.
Finish: fairly long, on black pepper, minty notes and berries.
Who would have thought I would choose the STR cask? Overall I think this is very flavoursome and entertaining, with above-average complexity. If you’re interested in discovering Annandale, this may be a nice entry point. Still available from the distillery website or The Whisky Exchange. Score: 87/100