Annandale Man O' Sword 2016 Bourbon Cask

Key Facts About This Single Malt

Distillery: Annandale

Whisky Maker: (late) Dr Jim Swan

Range: Man O' Sword

Region: Lowlands, Scotland

Vintage: 2016

Cask Type: Single refill Bourbon cask

Cask Ref: 523

Alcohol by Volume: 61%

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Bottle Size: 700ml

Man O' Sword 2016 Bourbon Tasting Notes

Official tasting notes

Colour: Pale gold/straw

Nose: Fresh orchard fruits including apple and pear, creamy vanilla, caramel and cream soda. A back note of blackcurrants and slight hints of smouldering wood.

Palate: Beautifully sweet and creamy caramel, vanilla, hazelnuts, and a tickle of smouldering woody notes on the palate.

About This Annandale Whisky

Since starting distilling in November 2014, Annandale Distillery have adopted a ‘wood policy’ that aims to deliver both diversity of flavour along with the opportunity to mature their Single Malts for relatively short or relatively long periods of time, and everything in between.

One route to flavour diversity is through ageing their whisky in high quality oak casks that have previously held various different wines, fortified wines or other spirits. Flavour derives, in part, from the naturally occurring flavour components in the oak, along with residual amounts of the previous occupant, both of which are extracted from the inside surface of the cask by the maturing spirit.

The other route to flavour diversity is through ageing their spirit in different types of ex-bourbon barrels: ‘Fresh’ ex-bourbon barrels will have previously held bourbon, and nothing else, for a relatively short period of time (e.g. 3 or 4 years). This means that the oak still has lots of natural flavour components such as lactones (hints of coconut), vanillin (vanilla), tannins (astringency) and a natural sweetness, all of which can be readily extracted by the maturing spirit. The oak also holds residual amounts of bourbon which again, is readily extracted. ‘Fresh’ ex-bourbon barrels are said to be ‘active’ or ‘potent’ because they’re bursting with flavour compounds that transfer readily into the spirit. This means that the whisky inside will often mature quite quickly (usually 4 – 7 years) and it will typically have a sweet, confectionery, bourbon character overlaid on top of the intrinsic whisky flavour characteristics that typify the distillery in question (fresh orchard fruits in Annandale’s case).

‘Refill’ ex-bourbon barrels will have held bourbon in the first place (as above), followed by another whisky (hence ‘refill’). Normally this second occupant will have been Scotch Whisky, but Annandale Distillery prefers to mature its spirit in ‘refills’ that are second-filled with an American whiskey called Early Times. This was done on the advice of the late Dr Jim Swan and it has proved to be an inspired decision. With ‘refills’ the oak is much less active which means that it takes longer to mature the whisky within. However, because the oak character is much less dominant it allows the true character of the distillery to shine through.

Recently, during routine sensory evaluation of Annandale's stock of maturing whiskies conducted by Professor David Thomson (Distillery Co-Founder), James Rogerson (Cask and Whisky Specialist) and Keith Law (Whisky Consultant), the team identified two ‘refill’ casks that had aged to perfection relatively early. One (Cask 2016/523) was filled with Annandale’s Man O’ Sword (peaty/smoky), the other (Cask 2016/613) with our rich, sweet and fruity Man O’ Words. They agreed that these whiskies would be ideal for Annandale's Founders’ Selection range.