Review #837 - Annandale 'Man O' Words' 2017 Single Cask
In April 2026, we attended a tasting hosted by local specialty spirits shop Storied Company; this tasting was led by the owners of Sacks Dynamic Operations, a company that owns US-based spirits importer ‘Scotch Drinkers Only.’ This importer focuses on independent bottlers and high-quality craft distilleries; some of the brands they represent are Annandale distillery, Holyrood distillery, and indies such as Cree, Lady of the Glen, and Living Souls. We went through a selection of 7 whiskies on the night; this review is 1 of those 7.
Annandale distillery produces two sub-brands: 'Man O' Words,' like this bottling, which uses unpeated distillate, but also the 'Man O' Swords' brand, which is peated whisky. The distillery focuses on single cask, cask strength whiskies; in a way it's a young distillery, having begun production in 2014, but there was also a previous Annandale distillery, which was founded back in 1836 and subsequently closed.
This unpeated single cask carries a 2017 distillation vintage, and it was bottled in 2023 at 5 years old. It was aged in a 'double-oaked' ex-bourbon barrel, specifically one that was previously used in the production of Woodford Reserve's Double-Oaked bourbon. After those 5 years of aging, this single cask was bottled at a strong 60.7% ABV.
Annandale 'Man O' Words' 2017 Single Cask
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Price: USD 124 (2026)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 60.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: 'Double-oaked' ex-bourbon cask
Details: Cask 1639; distilled 2017, bottled 2023; 261 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Buttery, like buttered popcorn, with some malty notes. It's quite spirity, but we get sweetness from white grape and butterscotch, along with a light smoky side from charred orange rind or charred wood.
Palate: Bright citrus like lemon, grapefruit, and we get more smoked orange peel. There's sweetness from vanilla and cotton candy, as well as a hint of malty character, but it's also quite a hot whisky.
Finish: Oak builds into the finish, bringing vanilla and tannins with it. It's quite spirity, a long finish, but we get sweetness later, specifically lemon-lime soda and toasted coconut.
Final Note: This young single malt is quite fiery - the nose, palate, and finish all had strong spirity notes and some heat. It is also a bit of a flavor bomb despite its simplicity, and the buttery notes in the nose were unusual but interesting. It's a decent bottle, but maybe not one that we would be reaching for all the time due to its uniqueness and heat.
Annandale is a specialty whisky due to their production processes, low output, and single cask, cask strength presentation; however, even taking those things into account, we don't think the value is too good here. A price close to $125 is really asking a lot from such a young whisky from a young distillery.
Our Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.21
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other recent reviews from young Scottish distilleries:
Review #794 - Ardnahoe 5 Year Inaugural Release
Review #770 - Isle of Raasay Na Sia Single Cask - Unpeated Ex-Rye Cask
Review #765 - Isle of Raasay Na Sia Single Cask - Peated Chinkapin Cask
