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Annandale
distillery set to release the unpeated
Annandale Man O’Words and peated
Annandale Man O’Sword single cask
whiskies.
Annandale Distillery has announced a
launch date for two single malt, single
cask whisky
expressions, Annandale Man O’Words and
Annandale Man O’Sword which they are in
the process of bottling at the moment.
The launch of the two single cask
whiskies is the culmination of a £14m
restoration, redevelopment and relaunch
project, and lifelong ambition for
co-owners David Thomson and Teresa
Church, who bought the derelict former
Johnnie Walker site in 2007.
The distillery tell me that both
expressions have been carefully crafted
to deliver a specific sensory profile
that they felt was missing from the
single malt landscape.
Annandale Man O’Words, which is
unpeated, was inspired by Scotland’s
national poet (and Exciseman in Annan)
Robert Burns, which the distillery tells
me offers excellent balance between
fruit and vanilla, and ‘intriguing
depth’.
Annandale Man O’Sword, which is peated,
challenges the misconception that
distilleries in the south of Scotland
only produce light and fruity
expressions, they tell me it has a
distinctive soft and very well balanced
smokiness.
At the time of typing this Annandale
were still in the process of bottling the
two whiskies but I can tell you that
they will both be bottled at cask
strength which will be around 61.5% ABV
and they expect each cask to produce 255
bottles and they plan to release 10
casks of each. Both whiskies will be
naturally coloured and non
chill-filtered.
Only 188 barrels were filled in 2014,
and only these 20 casks from 2014 are
due to be released for the foreseeable
future. Each cask was monitored,
appraised and selected by noted whisky
consultant Dr Gordon Steele, together
with Distillery owner Prof. David
Thomson and each bottle will be
individually identifiable by cask, year
and bottle number.
When I asked when we are likely to see a
permanent core range expression
released, the distillery told me that
they have no set plan and they are
waiting to see how the maturing stock
develops. So if you you want to sample
Annandale peated or unpeated whisky in
the near future then these single cask
bottling will be your chance.
Thomson and Church are impatient to
launch; "It has been a long haul from
first encountering the derelict
distillery to seeing our brands on-shelf
but it has been a joy and a privilege to
be part of this journey. We’re delighted
with the character, mellowness and
balance of our ‘early release’ whiskies
which have already developed a
distinctive ‘Annandale style’. We hope
that whisky lovers from around the World
will enjoy them."
Annandale Man O’Words and Annandale Man
O’Sword will each have a RRP of £300 and
will be available to buy online from the
distillery website and at the distillery
shop from Wednesday 13th June 2018.
If you want to try before you buy
Annandale Distillery will be pouring Man
O’Words and Man O’Sword at Edinburgh
Whisky Festival on 16th June, and at
this year’s London Whisky Show in
September.
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