Annandale Distillery: Scottish history and single cask whisky

By Meadow Lane · Updated on October 11, 2026

Annandale Distillery combines a historic site in South Scotland with a new generation of single cask whisky. The brand has deep roots, while production only resumed in 2014. This distinction makes the story more interesting and helps to clearly distinguish between distillery history and the age of the whisky in the bottle.

Key milestones

1836: distillery founded by George Donald.
1893: Johnnie Walker & Sons acquires Annandale.
1918: whisky production ceases.
2007: David Thomson and Teresa Church purchase the site.
2014: production resumes on November 9.
2018: the first bottling after production resumed.

This history does not mean that a current Annandale bottle dates from the nineteenth century. For every bottling, check the stated year of distillation and, if applicable, the age. This will help you connect the brand story with the right bottle.

Two distinctive styles

In its current production, Annandale makes both unpeated and peated spirits. These are the basis of the Man O’Words and Man O’Sword series. The production process was partly developed with the involvement of whisky consultant Dr. Jim Swan. The individual oak cask then plays an important role in maturation.

What does this mean for your choice?

A distillery story helps you understand where a whisky comes from. You will need more information to choose a flavour profile. Start with the series, compare the cask style, and read the notes for each bottling. This makes history a starting point for an informed choice, rather than letting an old founding date alone determine what you buy.

A useful comparison involves two bottles from the same series but with different cask styles. You can then try a peated or unpeated alternative. This will help you discover which flavour profile appeals to you and what role the cask plays.

Why the bottling itself takes centre stage

A brand name does not tell you everything about a product. The current selection consists of different releases, each with its own specifications. For a favourite bottle, keep a record of the product name, cask style, and alcohol strength. If that bottle later sells out, you can use this information to find another suitable bottling.

A year of distillation is also not a figure that automatically increases each year. Once whisky has been bottled, it does not continue to mature as whisky in a cask does. Therefore, an age statement should be understood as information about the maturation before bottling. A bottle from an earlier year of distillation is not necessarily in an older age category.

Annandale at Meadow Lane

Meadow Lane is the importer of Annandale for the Benelux. In our range, you can view the current bottles and compare the two series with different cask styles. Meadow Lane’s own whisky and the Annandale bottlings each have their own story: check the producer and product specifications of the bottle you choose.

If you want to use the range for business purposes, you can indicate whether you are creating a whisky menu or a shop selection. The brand history can provide a concise introduction; the flavour profile of the specific bottle remains the basis for advising guests and customers.