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 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.