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Dram dreams come true for Scottish actor James Cosmo as he launches STORYMAN, his premium blended whisky made by Annandale Distillery

Iconic Scottish actor James Cosmo has launched his own whisky, STORYMAN, created in a unique partnership with award-winning Annandale Distillery in Dumfries & Galloway. 

James was joined by family, friends, fellow actors and celebrities, international whisky experts, investors, and members of the team who created STORYMAN, for the London launch at The Caledonian Club in Belgravia on Wednesday night. [June 14] 

They heard how James first became aware of Annandale Distillery when he was filming Outlaw King [the distillery is built on what had been King Robert the Bruce’s land, near Annan] and was so impressed with the team’s passion for creating the best single malt single cask Scotch whisky that he entrusted them with making his dream of having his own whisky – “the kind that is delicate, complex, and with a warmth that grows on you” – come true. 

It was an almost three-year journey to create the perfect whisky inspired by James, his iconic presence and personality, with a distinct flavour profile based on months of complex research by international research companies MMR (Mathematical Market Research) Research Worldwide and Huxley Global, owned by Annandale Distillery co-owners Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church.  Professor Thomson said: “We wanted to capture James’ essence in a bottle, to create a whisky that reflects his personality, his values and his stories. We used our expertise in consumer research to understand how people perceive James and what kind of whisky they would associate with him. We then translated that into a sensory profile that guided the blending process.”  

Master blender Keith Law describes the unique blend of Annandale’s award-winning Man O’ Words and Man O’ Sword (peated) whiskies, as “a tale of mellow fruitfulness, smooth honey and rich vanilla, with a spicy edge that brings real warmth to its heart.” 

And is that warmth that James was delighted with for his whisky, named STORYMAN to reflect his 60-year career as a storyteller with iconic roles in films and TV programmes including Braveheart, Highlander, Game of Thrones, Trainspotting, Jack Ryan, and Six Four. 

“STORYMAN is a lovely blend,” he says. “It’s gentle and the sort of whisky you want to sit by a fire and have a little sip of. It’s delicate and thoughtful and absolutely a whisky for telling stories with. I’d like to think that people will open a bottle and sit back and regale people with stories.” 

You can be part of James Cosmo’s story: STORYMAN is available to buy now at www.storymanwhisky.com

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Storyman James Cosmo, Has a Tale to Tell Over a Dram Of New Premium Blend Whisky.

James Cosmo, the acclaimed actor and storyteller, has teamed up with Annandale Distillery to create Storyman, a unique blended Scotch whisky that celebrates the art of storytelling. Storyman is a premium blend of Annandale’s award-winning single malts, Man O’ Words and Man O’ Swords, along with a carefully selected grain whisky.

The Game of Thrones actor launched the new premium blended Scotch whisky at Annan’s Lonsdale Cinema on April 27th in a stunning Red Carpet premier event.

(James with piper Craig Irvine at Annan Londsdale Cinema. April 27th 2023)

James Cosmo said, “It’s always been a dream of mine to create my own whisky. The kind of whisky that is delicate, complex and with a warmth that grows on you.  I always believed it would be just a dream until during filming and production of the film Outlaw King, a film about the King of Scotland Robert the Bruce. I became aware of Annandale Distillery, steeped in history and located in the heart of Bruce’s land. I met the team and was impressed by their passion for whisky the creation of a good dram, and that spoke to me, it really hit home.

Whisky has always been part of my life, since I was a boy, sitting on the knee of my maternal grandfather.  He was a miner and his treat at the end of a hard day was a dram of whisky.  I was always fascinated by the golden liquid he held in his rough hands and slowly sipped, his bantam chickens at his feet.

I love whisky. I love the tradition and the craftsmanship, mostly I love the way whisky brings people together. There’s always a point in the night when the pace slows down and the conversations get deep and meaningful. We all have stories, stories that bind us and tell tales of our experiences.  STORYMAN premium blend Scotch whisky is my story, and I want to share it with you.”

The blend was specially created for the Game of Thrones actor, by Keith Law, Annandale’s master blender, and owner, Professor David Thomson, featuring a carefully chosen selection of their award-winning Single Cask, Single Malt Whiskies. These included various vintages and spirit types from a range of Fresh and Refill Ex-Bourbon, and Ex-Burgundy STR casks.

“The blending process took a great deal of time to get right”, says Keith Law Annandale Distillery’s master blender. “It was a process that involved speaking with James, having in-depth conversations to identify the types of whisky James likes to enjoy. What we created is a smooth and complex whisky, with notes of vanilla, honey, citrus and smoke. What we wanted to do is capture the essence of James whisky memories and make it tangible and that’s what we have done with STORYMAN.”

Annandale Distillery Co-Founder David Thomson was delighted to see the project come to fruition, the project that included not just Annandale Distillery but the work of the entire MMR Research family. MMR Research, the company founded by Professor Thomson and his wife and business partner Teresa Church were involved in many aspects of the project including consumer research on audience demographics, concept design and testing the whisky with consumers, using their expertise and innovative methods. Thomson said: “This whisky is a tribute to the actor and his iconic role, as well as to the craftsmanship and quality of Annandale Distillery and MMR Research. We are very proud of this collaboration and hope that whisky lovers and fans of James Cosmo will enjoy it as much as we do.”

STORYMAN is available to pre-order now at www.storymanwhisky.com priced at just £55.00 per bottle.