A private bottling is not a marketing exercise. Somebody tasted their way through a row of casks in a warehouse in southern Scotland, pointed at number 836 and said: that one, the whole cask, for us. Two hundred and thirty-one bottles of conviction.
The Expert's Description
Annandale 2016/2024 Single Cask Private Release 8 Years Old is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon cask and bottled at 62.8% cask strength. Cask 836 was distilled on 3 November 2016 and bottled on 11 December 2024, giving 231 bottles released exclusively for The Norseman.
In a private bottling the buyer takes the whole cask, and there is no blending and no adjustment of strength. The whisky goes into the bottle as it came out of the wood, so 62.8% is not a choice but a result. The bourbon cask has laid in vanilla, coconut and cereal sweetness across eight years, and because Annandale’s spirit is fruity and fresh in itself, the profile ends up bright rather than woody.
The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Annandale sits at Annan in Dumfriesshire, only a quarter of an hour’s drive from the English border, which makes it one of the southernmost distilleries in Scotland.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Vanilla and coconut macaroon first, clearly bourbon-driven. Behind them crisp green apple, pear and a warm cereal note like fresh bread. At 62.8% there is alcohol on the nose, so let the glass sit for a couple of minutes.
Palate
Powerful and concentrated. Custard and baked apple open, then white pepper, cinnamon and a drier oak edge. A clear sweetness runs underneath and keeps the strength in check. The texture is thick, close to syrupy.
Finish
Long and warm. Vanilla, spice and a dry cereal note that lets go slowly. The alcohol leaves a pleasant heat rather than a burn.
Specifications
Name: Annandale 2016/2024 Single Cask Private Release 8 Years Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 62.8%
Distillery: Annandale
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 62.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask, cask no. 836
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 3 November 2016
Bottled: 11 December 2024
Number of bottles: 231
Edition: Private Release for The Norseman
Flavour Profile
Vanilla · Fruity · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fresh · Creamy
Investment Potential
Medium. The cask was bought by one customer, and there are 231 bottles and nothing more. Private bottlings rarely resurface on the secondary market, precisely because they were distributed through a single channel to a small audience.
Did You Know?
Annandale lies so far south in Scotland that the distillery is closer to Carlisle in England than to the nearest Highland distilleries. Only a quarter of an hour separates it from the border. That was once an advantage: the whisky could be sent straight south to the English market without the long haul down the country.
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