Annandale Extravaganza

Annandale 2017, bottled at 59.7 % abv

First things first: Bottled in 2025, making this roughly an 8 years old. Matured in an STR barrel. Cask # 379 produced 283 bottles. Man O’ Sword expression which means smoky malt.

Upon Sipping: Shaved, toasted and re-charred, this is a whisky from a rejuvenated barrel. The colour on this Annandale turned pretty dark because of it. A caramelized nose to start with, with dark chocolate layers and a good hit of ozone. We will return here later, because the abv is too strong to do a deep dive. The arrival on the palate is very sweet, with hints of vanilla and that caramel again. Nice touches of wood. Then you swallow and get hit with the smoke. Nice, dry, smouldering blue smoke. I only smoked maybe three or four cigarettes in my life, way back when I was still in my teens, but this finish on the Annandale 2017 reminds me of it. We know by now that Annandale can swim like an Olympic, so we are not shy with water. The ozone becomes more pronounced, but the deep charring of the barrel left a mark. Touches of honey. It makes for a complex whisky, not unlike some more dirty examples I have tasted from neighbouring lowlander Bladnoch. The sweetness on the tongue has now gained some red fruit vibes, and the smoke on the finish is tamed somewhat. 

Word to the Wise: This feels like a very complete effort by Annandale, finally, after my stumbling experience with the other samples. A little bit more maturity goes a long way to make a much better impression. This expression has a lot to offer. The smokiness seems an afterthought. 

Score: 86 points.

Annandale 2018, bottled at 61,1 % abv

First things first: Bottled in 2025, making this roughly a 7 years old. Matured in Ex-Fino sherry. Cask # 369 produced an unknown bottles. Man O’ Word expression which means unpeated malt.

Upon Sipping: Nice, dark colour, not directly associated with Fino sherry, but here we go. The aroma is very inviting with a deep mahogany scent. The high abv prevents me from digging further, so a sip first. Quite a soft and gentle arrival to start with, continues on dry wood flavours, with hints of cinnamon and chocolate powder. While swallowing, it becomes even more dry. Very composed and centred, impressive balance. Let’s see if it can swim too. A good dash of water releases a strong surge of ozone. Light hints of something fruity, difficult to define, leaning towards peach and apricot. The freshly treated mahogany is still there, which is a lovely smell. The taste reveals more nutty flavours now, mostly hazelnut, and the water improves on the dry character. This is one to sip slowly from on a long Saturday evening, knowing you won’t have to get up early on Sunday. You can pour yourself that second glass, yes, easily. 

Word to the Wise: A good cask and balanced spirit made for an excellent sherried whisky here. This Annandale ticks all the boxes. Balance, complexity, and a moreish feeling to it.

Score: 86 points.

Annandale 2014, bottled at 59,7 % abv

First things first: This Annandale matured for 10 years in a refill ex-bourbon. Cask 121 delivered 246 bottles. This is a Man ‘o Words bottling, unpeated.

Upon Sipping: We are having a good trip so far, but this is the one I am looking forward to! No weird wood, no peat, just the spirit and a plain cask. Let’s go! By the way, is it not crazy that the abv says so high with all Annandale? Still nearly 60 %, jeez. Makes it hard to nose, and more than light vanilla I do not pick up. The taste is lemony fresh, and stays a tad too much on that course, until a slightly sharp, soapy finish. We are off to a rough start, we’ll need water. It turns more floral with good dilution. The taste remains a bit like drinking raw wash from a metal cup. It is a weird experience, interesting, even though the single malt in itself is not satisfying. When the glass settles a bit more, this Annandale turns more fruity, but it is a delicate piece of work here.

Word to the Wise: A weirdly amusing whisky, but it lacks the quality I would like to find in a 10 years old. Here, I think, it hurts that Annandale does not do a batch creation. More casks combined could have polished this diamond in the rough. For now, this is a delicate one that struggles to stand upright.

Score: 80 points.

Annandale 2015, bottled at 58,6 % abv

First things first: This Annandale matured for 10 years in a refill ex-bourbon. Cask 39 delivered 239 bottles. This is a Man ‘o Swords bottling, peated.

Upon Sipping: Yeah, this has more to offer, where the smoke does what the previous sample needed, cover up some inefficiency. Lemons, vanilla, ashtray in a good way. On the palate, there is a satisfying sweetness that mingles nicely with the ashy character. It is all rather simple but this Annandale does deliver. A straight shooter, to put it in American terms. There is a delightful creamy mouthfeel after a while, and the smoke stays extremely powerful. What a difference the smoke makes between the mediocre sample we tried before this one, and this peated expression. We can’t draw conclusions on just a few single casks, but some picture emerges. The unpeated spirit needs a good cask to elevate itself, the peated spirit seems more confident on its own legs. Interesting.

Word to the Wise: After this whole session, we can conclude Annandale is a very complex and individual minded animal. This session outperformed the previous one with younger samples. Mature age bodes well, and the horizon is still far away. More surprises to come in the next years, I’m sure!

Score: 85 points.