Back to the year 2014 when Annandale was resurrected
Annandale Distillery was a true gem to behold when I visited the location in 2014, ahead of a week in Campbeltown and on Islay. We were lucky to be received by Malcom Rennie (pictured), who was involved in starting up this long lost Lowland distillery in Annan, located along the A75 from the Scottish border to Dumfries. Malcom showed us round in the almost operational distillery, just months shy of the first production since … a century. The original distillery was in production until the 1920s, after being operational since 1840. The last owner was actually Johnnie Walker & Sons. In the intervening 90 or so years the old buildings were well preserved and in 2007 all this was bought by David Thomson and Teresa Church. The famous and late Dr. Jim Swan was involved in resurrecting Annandale from the start. What we saw during our summer visit in 2014, was a distillery totally new and blinking in the light, which gave us the feeling as if walking in a cathedral. The stillhouse could well be one of the most beautiful in the industry, with a tasteful use of brick and mortar. Outside, as the picture shows, there was still some work to be done.
When I open Brian Townsend’s “Scotch Missed” on the page that features Annandale, we are welcomed with a beautiful picture of the pagoda building, taken in 1974. During out visit in 2014, our whiskyclub magazine house photographer took an almost identical picture. Townsend describes Annandale as “a classic small farm-based distillery” that produced its last drop in 1921. Successive owners kept the buildings in good shape. The distillery was established in 1830 by the former excise man George Donald, who owned the site until 1882. The new owner John S. Gardner modernized Annandale. From these days stems the high chimney tower that is still a landmark today. The famous whisky writer Alfred Barnard visited Annandale in this time period as well. He noted that production was around 100.000 litres. The modern day output is 500.000 litres. Why John Walker and Sons took over the distillery in 1887 is not known, but the company operated it until 1921, and slowly we witnessed the demise of this little farm operation. Indeed did Annandale return to farming, until in 2014 new make flowed from the stills again.
I wonder why Annandale fell out of view with me personally, even after having visited this beautiful location. After all, visiting a location creates a bond, even though I was still without beard then. The reason behind it is probably pricing, initially. The official releases were quite hefty to acquire and therefor I choose not to. Somehow, I did not get to taste them in those days. Also, until now, Annandale has chosen to release only single casks, and did not create a (batch driven) core range with for instance a traditional age statement or vintage statement. The only direction you get is the difference between peated and unpeated releases. The former is named Man O’ Swords, named after Robert the Bruce who was Lord of Annandale, and the latter is Man O’ Words, named after Robert Burns who once worked as exciseman at Annandale. Of course, the whisky is getting more mature, now even past the 10 years old milestone.
For this summer blog we decided to randomly select a few samples of Annandale expressions, including an independently bottled cask. Annandale makes its debut on Long Pour Amour, and in the meantime it gave me the opportunity to showcase a few pictures of those early days of the new Annandale, before distilling started in the second half of 2014. These are made by my dear whisky friend Fulco Bakker ©
Annandale 2015 – Man O’Words, cask 537, bottled at 59,3 % abv
First things first: An early release, distilled in 2015 and bottled at young age. The Whiskybase page was made in 2020. Cask 537 was an once used ex-bourbon cask. This is unpeated Annandale.
Upon Sipping: Rather classic with a vanilla forward nose. Seems more mature than the age would suggest, and rather balanced. We cannot get a lot of nuance from such a high abv, so let us taste first and then return with the pipet. The taste in incredibly sugary sweet and the palate is covered with a very elegant and oily substance, right before the alcohol hotness blows us out of the water. So, talking about water… With some drops, a more hefty nose opens up, with the vanilla still dominant but more grassy notes. Firmly in the Lowlands region with this Annandale, which delights me. The taste remains sugary sweet, almost like traditional English tea with milk and sugar. Also reminiscent of the Eden Mill from bourbon casks. On the finish, it turns a tad too bitter, like licking the shell of a dry walnut.
Word to the Wise: I have tasted my samples in separate sessions, and this one was actually the last, but at the same time the best of the trio. Unbothered, pure, delicious Lowland single malt. No fuzz and a good score. The asset I like most, it the sugary sweetness that is quite unique.
Score: 84 points.
Annandale 2015 – Man O’Words, cask 822, bottled at 60,8 % abv
First things first: A very early release, distilled in 2015 and bottled at just 3 years of age in 2018. Cask 822 was a oloroso sherry butt. This is an unpeated Annandale, and 663 bottles were made.
Upon Sipping: Hints of feints and glue, and a slightly sour note, like a young sherry. Slightly sulphury too, not the freshest example. Interestingly, the difference with the North Star expression we describe below, is not so big at all. Some wood smoke arises from the glass. We will taste first before we start playing with water. The liquid is nice and oily on the tongue, I have to say that is impressive after just 3 years of ageing. Good dose of praline and hazelnut, and a warming finish that actually leaves no bite at all from the high abv. The chocolate notes linger for a long time. With water, the nose does nothing to improve, but the drinking experience is very nice and all on chocolate and nutty notes. I could have done with more typical floral notes perhaps.
Word to the Wise: A strange nose which is not pleasant to experience at all. The palate delivers a decent enough reward, but all in all this is average at best. Still plenty of shops offering this for around 150 pounds, where this bottle has been quietly sitting since 2018 probably. This would be a nice entry level experience for 30 pounds, or make it 50 because it is a single cask sherry butt, but that should have been it. When I check the official Annandale website, they now offer similar bottlings at 75 pounds. But this bottling makes me think they should try something new. Like a simple batch oriented core range.
Score: 79 points.
Annandale 7 years old, bottled at 54,9 % abv by North Star Spirits
First things first: Our independent entry to this blog. This Annandale was distilled in November 2015 and bottled exactly 7 years later in November 2022. The oloroso sherry butt produced 458 bottles in the Cask Series 021 by North Star Spirits. This should be a peated variant.
Upon Sipping: Indeed, a smoky entry but not so much peaty. I would sooner relate it to coal and also the sticky substance on your fingers after picking up a lump of coal. Hints of rubber too, inside tyre smells, and underneath that … boiled vegetables. Not something I am really going for, but it is in any case rather unique in style. It does actually remind me of this (peculiar) Bladnoch Alinta. So, I guess I have to come back on my statement in that blog. Is this the Lowland peated style? I am not the biggest fan, but appreciate the singularity it presents. The taste is more middle of the road, and delivers on what you can expect from a good sherry butt. Sweetened notes to the front, bitter and dry cigar leaves towards the exit. With water: hints of glue and stale vase water. The taste improves well enough, with a more balanced palate now giving the best of both worlds with peated red fruit and dry (milky) chocolate and those cigars again. Saved by the bell here.
Word to the Wise: Rough stuff and very closely related to another Lowland single malt. In that regard, regionality is a thing and this Annandale underlines it. Beautifully un-commercial, but not my favourite style of whisky.
Score: 80 points.
