Review / Cotswolds ‘Hearts & Crafts’ Banyuls Cask

This whisky is the fourth edition in the limited edition Hearts & Crafts series from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask has experienced a full maturation in a small batch of French oak casks that wer…


This whisky is the fourth edition in the limited edition Hearts & Crafts series from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask has experienced a full maturation in a small batch of French oak casks that were previously filled with Banyuls, a regional sweet dessert wine from the south west of France. The series is inspired by the Art & Crafts movement championed by famous former Cotswolds resident William Morris. Morris-inspired designs are featured on a special packaging tube and neck tag. The Banyuls Cask follows three previous releases - the Sauternes Cask, Pineau des Charentes Cask and Rum Cask.

The Cotswolds distillery is located in the village of Stourton and was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor. The company ethos is to only use barley grown on Cotswold farms and filtered water from the village supply. This barley is then malted on a traditional malt floor at the local maltsters in nearby Warminster. 

Whisky and gin are produced, along with a range of liqueurs. The distillery run tours daily and also have a shop, cafe and tasting room on site. Berry Brothers & Rudd, London's oldest wine and spirits merchants, have recently purchased a share in the English distillery.

The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask is bottled at 55.1% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,510 bottles and these will be available exclusively from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com. A bottle will cost £95.

Our tasting notes

The whisky is bright gold in colour and the nose is packed with sweet and fruity aromas. Green apple and juicy sultana rise first and are joined by aromas of golden syrup and moscovado sugar. Further aromas of candied citrus (think of orange and lime especially), plus hints of milk chocolate and vanilla give depth. A pinch of cinnamon spice rounds things off.

On the palate the whisky feels rich and viscous. It is again packed with fruity and sweet characteristics, but also has a spicy punch due to the high ABV. Once this peppery quality dies down a little (or once water is added) the fruitiness really begins to pop. Juicy sultanas and candied lime are to the fore with plenty of crisp green apple and a hint of white peach joining too.

The sweetness is again very golden syrup and moscovado sugar-like, and compliments the tangy fruitiness well. Vanilla and toasted oak come next, alongside milk chocolate and a hint of cocoa powder. The toasted oak note evolves into woody spice - think of cinnamon and a scratch of nutmeg. Underneath is a hint of hazelnut praline and some soft nougat.

The finish is of decent length and warming. The oak and spicy elements drive this and take control as the sweet and fruity notes begin to fade. With water the pepper is taken away but there is still plenty of toasted oak, cinnamon and hints of nutmeg and ginger root.

What's the verdict?

This is another fine offering from Cotswolds, although it needs a splash of water in our opinion to soften that initial peppery kick. The complex mix of fruit, sweetness and spice shows well and makes us wonder why ex-Banyuls casks are not used more often. From memory, we had never had one before. We have also enjoyed the other bottlings in the Hearts & Crafts series and this one sits well against the others. It will be intriguing to see which cask type comes next.


Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (March 24, 2023)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky an…



Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 
 
Here is the round-up of the news from this week. 
 
________
 
 
Ardbeg
The Islay distillery of Ardbeg have announced their latest limited edition - Ardbeg BizarreBQ. The barbeque-inspired whisky is a first for the distillery and has seen Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation at Ardbeg, collaborate with expert griller DJ BBQ (AKA Christian Stevenson). The whisky has been created using ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, plus double charred American oak barrels and extra-charred 'barbeque' casks. The limited edition is bottled at 50.9% ABV and will initially be available from the visitor centre shop on Islay and in Germany from April 3. Other global markets, including the UK, will see stock from June onwards. A bottle will cost £75.
 
"Ardbeg BizarreBQ is certainly a hare-brained idea, but with DJ BBQ’s help I was able to cook up something truly incredible. Puffs of charcoal and soot mingle with smoky wood and the undeniable smell of bonfire and BBQ embers linger in the background."
Dr. Bill Lumsden.


 
Caskshare
 

The whisky company of Caskshare has released four special bottlings that has seen them collaborate with artists from around the world. The Caskshare Collective Series feature specially commissioned artworks from three artists on the labels.
 
Collective Series 310031 'Bothy' (pictured, above right) is a 14 years old single malt from the Dailuaine distillery in Speyside. It has been matured in a single ex-bourbon cask which has yielded just 215 bottles. The artwork has been created by Evie Grace, a Scottish freelance artist and designer whi drew inspiration from drinking whisky while staying in a Scottish bothy. A bottle costs £85.

Collective Series 4033 (pictured, above second right) and 4067 (pictured, above left) both feature artwork by Somerset-based artist and screen printer Pheobe Phillips. Both whiskies are from Agitator in Sweden - 4033 is a peated single malt matured in casks made from chestnut with 180 bottles, while 4067 is a four grain whisky matured in ex-white Port casks with 310 bottles. Both are £75.

Collective Series 72013 (pictured, above second left) is exclusive to Caskshare Collective members only. It is a nine years old blended malt and features artwork from Martha Duncan, a former student at the Glasgow School of Art. She often depicts Scottish motifs in her illustrations. All bottlings are available from www.caskshare.com.

 

Cotswolds
The English distillery of Cotswolds has announced the fourth edition in their limited edition Hearts & Crafts series - the Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask. The new whisky has experienced a full maturation in a small batch of French oak casks that were previously filled with Banyuls, a sweet dessert wine from the south west of France. It is bottled at 55.1% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,510 bottles and these will be available exclusively from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com. A bottle will cost £95.

 
Glenallachie
 

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has added three new limited edition expressions to its Virgin Oak Series - the Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish, 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish and 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish. Each new whisky was initially matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels before undergoing an 18 month finishing period in the different oak varieties.

The Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish features casks constructed of Quercus Petraea sourced from the Zemplén forest in north eastern Hungary. Glenallachie are one of the first Scottish distilleries to use virgin Hungarian oak. The 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish has seen secondary maturation in rare Sessile Oak sourced from the west coast of Scotland.

The 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak has been matured in casks made of Quercus Robur sourced from the Cantabrian mountains in northern Spain. All three single malts are bottled at 48% ABV and are non chill-filtered and of natural colour. They will be available in limited quantities through specialist retailers worldwide. The Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish will cost £63, the 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish £66 and the 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish £70.
 
"Virgin oak of varying provenance presents endless possibilities to me as a whisky maker. Exploring a variety of oak types, toasting and charring the casks to particular levels, and then closely observing the spirit development over time has been a truly joyful experience."
Billy Walker / Master Distiller at Glenallachie.

 

Rock Island

Douglas Laing & Co, the family-owned independent blender and bottler, have announced a new limited edition expression of their Rock Island blended malt - the Rock Island 14 years old Sherry Edition. As with all expressions of Rock Island, the whisky is created using single malts from Scottish islands. These include Arran, Islay, Jura and Orkney. All have been aged for a minimum of 14 years and predominantly in ex-sherry casks. 
 
The Rock Island 14 years old Sherry Edition is bottled at 46.8% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is presented in a blue foiled tube and will be available via specialist retailers in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. A bottle will cost £65/ $US80.
 
 

White Peak
The English distillery of White Peak has announced its first permanent whisky following a successful year-long series of small batch and single cask bottlings. Wire Works Caduro, named after a brand of cable made at the Johnson & Nephew factory that is now home to the distillery, has been matured in American and French oak casks. These are first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-red wine STRs (shaved, toasted and recharred), which were filled with White Peak's lightly peated single malt. 
 
Wire Works Caduro is bottled at 46.8% ABV and will initially be available selected specialist retailers in the UK. It will also be available from the distillery with the option to refill the bottle at a 15% discounted price. A new bottle will cost £60, while a refill will cost £51.


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Review / Cotswolds ‘Hearts & Crafts’ Rum Cask

This new whisky is the latest addition to the Hearts & Crafts Collection from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The series of limited edition whiskies is inspired by the work of designer and craftsman William Morris, who lived in the Cotswolds a…


This new whisky is the latest addition to the Hearts & Crafts Collection from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The series of limited edition whiskies is inspired by the work of designer and craftsman William Morris, who lived in the Cotswolds at Kelmscott Manor. The new release has seen the spirit made from 100% Cotswolds barley, which was traditionally floor malted in nearby Warminster, and then matured in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks that were seasoned with Caribbean rum. All bottles are presented in a William Morris design tube. The exact number of bottles was not revealed in the press release.

The Cotswolds distillery is located in the village of Stourton and was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor. The company ethos is to only use barley grown on Cotswold farms and filtered water from the village supply. This barley is then malted on a traditional malt floor at the local maltsters in nearby Warminster. Whisky and gin are produced, along with a range of liqueurs. The distillery run tours daily and also have a shop, cafe and tasting room on site. 
 
"I have always loved a good sipping rum, but often feel let down by 'rum-finished' single malts. This wonderful new Hearts & Crafts bottling really delivers. Our focus on full-term maturation, rather than finishing, making this whisky both finely balanced and immensely satisfying." 
Daniel Szor.   
 
The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Rum Cask Matured single malt is bottled at 55.6% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is exclusive to the Cotswold distillery's shops, visitor centre and website. A bottle will cost £74.95.

Our tasting notes

The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is bright and expressive. Aromas of candied lemon and lime lead the way, along with a hint of dried tropical fruit. Underneath are further aromas of green apple, golden syrup and peppery spices. Hints of pear, butterscotch and agave sit in the background.

The brightness continues on the palate. There is a youthful peppery quality but this mellows to reveal crisp green apple and pear notes. With time these tend more towards peardrop boiled sweets. This initial fruitiness is accentuated by a vibrant sweetness. This is a mix of honey, golden syrup and some white chocolate. The candied lemon and lime notes from the nose are never far away. The tropical fruit notes also evolve and become more dominant than before. Hints of marzipan and freshly sawn oak develop late on. 

A splash of water softens this whisky down well. The lemon, lime and tropical characteristics leap out even more as the peppery heat is deadened. A hint of bitter grapefruit peel comes through nicely too.

The finish is of decent length. The sweetness and fruity elements fade relatively quickly and this leaves the oak and peppery spices to come forwards. This gives plenty of warmth and a slightly bitter and drying edge.

What's the verdict?

This is another interesting whisky from Cotswolds. We like their experimental approach to maturation and this release follows on well from the inaugural Pineau de Charentes Cask in the Hearts & Crafts series. It will be interesting to see which other directions they take this collection of limited editions in. 

This Rum Cask is expressive and vibrant, and almost not like a whisky at all. It has a set of heady aromas and a flavour profile that reminded us more of a mezcal or rhum agricole. This makes it an intriguing proposition and maybe not for everyone, but we quite enjoyed it.


Cotswolds Delivers Rum Cask-Matured Whisky

UK-based Cotswolds Distillery has released a limited edition single malt whisky matured in rum-seasoned ex-red wine casks as part of their Hearts & Crafts series. Cotswolds Distillery’s Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky has been aged in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks seasoned with Caribbean rum, bottled at 55.6% alcohol by volume [111.2 proof] and […]

UK-based Cotswolds Distillery has released a limited edition single malt whisky matured in rum-seasoned ex-red wine casks as part of their Hearts & Crafts series.

Cotswolds Distillery’s Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky has been aged in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks seasoned with Caribbean rum, bottled at 55.6% alcohol by volume [111.2 proof] and is said to contain notes of apple, brown sugar, orange peel, pears and vanilla.

Cotswolds Distillery’s Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky is being made available $95 per 700ml bottle from Cotswolds Distillery.

Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (April 29, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky an…



Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 
 
Here is the round-up of the news from this last week.
 
________
 
 

Cotswolds
The English distillery of Cotswolds has announced the latest addition to its Hearts & Crafts Collection. The series of limited edition whiskies is inspired by the work of designer and craftsman William Morris, who lived in the Cotswolds at Kelmscott Manor. The new release has seen the spirit made from 100% Cotswolds barley and then matured in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks that were seasoned with Caribbean rum. All bottles are presented in a William Morris design tube. The exact number of bottles was not revealed in the press release. 
 
The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Rum Cask Matured single malt is bottled at 55.6% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is exclusive to the Cotswold distillery's shops, visitor centre and website. A bottle will cost £74.95.
 
"I have always loved a good sipping rum, but often feel let down by 'rum-finished' single malts. This wonderful new Hearts & Crafts bottling really delivers. Our focus on full-term maturation, rather than finishing, making this whisky both finely balanced and immensely satisfying."
Daniel Szor / Founder of Cotswolds.

 
Glenallachie
 

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the release of four single cask bottlings. Three will be exclusive to UK specialist whisky retailers with the fourth exclsuively for sale at this weekend's Spirit of Speyside festival. All are released at their natural cask strength and are of both natural colour and non chill-filtered. Each single cask was selected by Billy Walker, the Master Blender for Glenallachie.

The UK exclusive trio form Batch 6 of Glenallachie's single cask series. These feature Cask #1036 - an ex-Bordeaux red wine Premier Cru Classé Barrique that was filled in 2011 and aged for 11 years. It is bottled at 59.9% ABV and will cost £100. Cask #5386 is an ex-Tawny Port Hogshead and is bottled at 10 years old and 56.5% ABV. A bottle will cost £95. Cask #806890 is a true rarity. It is an ex-bourbon barrel that was filled with peated spirit in 2012. This was not distilled very often at Glenallachie. It is released at 9 years old and 60.1% ABV. A bottle will cost £90.

The Spirit of Speyside exclusive will only be available at the distillery, which is located near Aberlour. Cask #3292 was distilled in 2006 and is bottled at 15 years old. It started life in an ex-bourbon barrel before being transferred to a first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry puncheon and finally an antique ex-Oloroso sherry butt. A bottle will cost £175.

 

Glen Scotia
The Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has announced details of its special limited edition bottling for the forthcoming Campbeltown Malts Festival. The Glen Scotia Festival Release 2022 is an 8 year old single malt that has been maturing in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred for a 12-month finishing period in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry hogsheads. The spirit is heavily peated, unlike most from Glen Scotia. It is bottled at the natural cask strength of 56.5% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. 
 
The Glen Scotia Festival Release 2022 will be available at the distillery and on Glen Scotia's online store during the festival and via selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £55/ $70 US.

 

TOAD
The Oxford Artisan Distillery has announced the release of Batch #6 of their rye whisky - Crafty Little Rye. The whisky continues the brand's exploration of heritage cereal varieties and is made from a mix of 90% maslin (70% rye and 20% wheat grown in the same field) and 10% malted barley. The resulting spirit was matured in a virgin American oak cask for two years and one month, before being transferred to an ex-Vintage Port cask for a finishing period of one year and two months. It has been bottled at 45.2% ABV and in 20cl glass flasks - a decision taken to try an improve accessibility for consumers. 
 
Bottles of Crafty Little Rye will only be available via a ballot through the TOAD website today (April 29) or from the distillery shop in Oxford. Each 20cl flask will cost £25.

 
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Review / Cotswolds Madeira Single Cask

This whisky is the latest limited edition from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The Cotswolds Madeira Single Cask is a single malt that represents the inaugural release into their new Single Cask Series that is planned for 2022. The whisky was made…


This whisky is the latest limited edition from the English distillery of Cotswolds. The Cotswolds Madeira Single Cask is a single malt that represents the inaugural release into their new Single Cask Series that is planned for 2022. The whisky was made using locally grown and malted barley. It was filled to a single French oak cask (Cask #621) that had previously held Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island, in April 2016. It was bottled in February 2022 at the natural cask strength of 59.5% ABV, and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Cotswold Madeira Single Cask is a distillery exclusive - it is only available from the distillery shop or Cotswolds website. A bottle will cost £95.

The Cotswolds distillery is located in the village of Stourton and was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor. The company ethos is to only use barley grown on Cotswold farms and filtered water from the village supply. This barley is then malted on a traditional malt floor at the local maltsters in nearby Warminster. Whisky and gin are produced, along with a range of liqueurs. The distillery run tours daily and also have a shop, cafe and tasting room on site.

Our tasting notes

The colour is a bright peachy gold and the nose is vibrant, uplifting and fresh. Aromas of fresh tropical fruit (especially pineapple and ripe mango) rise first and are quickly joined by juicy sultanas and floral honey. There are also hints of biscuity cereals, fresh grass and zesty orange oil underneath. A pinch of cocoa and green walnuts add further interest.

On the palate this whisky is equally as fresh and vibrant. It feels lively and peppery from the high ABV. As this settles delicious notes of orange zest and juicy sultanas rise first. These are backed up by a suggestion of milk chocolate and increasingly bold cereals. These add grip and depth. Then come the tropical notes from the nose - think of pineapple and mango again, plus peach and ripe figs. The fruity characteristics are accentuated with further notes of floral honey and butterscotch sauce. Woody spices add warmth, along with a hint of gingerbread.

The high ABV and profile suggests adding a little water. This allows more cereal aromas through on the nose and these shine alongside the tropical fruits. The palate is softer and way less peppery. The tropical and other fruits hold their own, and some vanilla notes are now allowed through - think of good quality vanilla custard or ice cream. It also somehow does not lose its freshness, which can happen when diluted.

What's the verdict?

We have sampled a number of fine single malts from Cotswolds now, but this one seems to go in a very different direction. The expressive ex-Madeira cask has worked some magic and created a vibrant, juicy and delicious whisky. The fresh citrus-like and tropical fruitiness is fabulous. 

However, the alcohol is a bit aggressive and hot at full strength and this is a whisky that benefits from a dribble of water. This allows some previously hidden notes to shine. Is it our favourite Cotswolds release to date? Probably not, but it is certainly a very interesting whisky.


Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (November 12, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky an…



Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 
 
Here is the round-up of this week's news ...
 
________
 
 

Bowmore
The Islay distillery of Bowmore has announced a collaborative single malt with the super premium car brand of Aston Martin. The Bowmore x Aston Martin Masters Selection 21 years old has seen Bowmore's Master Blender and Aston Martin's Chief Creative Officer work together to contruct a whisky using scientific and engineering principals. The result sees a base of 21 year old Bowmore used that has been matured in first-fill ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The remainder of the recipe consists of older Bowmore whiskies, some over 35 years of age. 
 
The Bowmore x Aston Martin Masters Selection 21 years old is bottled at 51.8% ABV and will be available through specialist and luxury retailers in selected world markets. These include Canada, China, Germany, the UK and USA. The price of each bottle will be £300/ $400 US.

 

Cotswolds
The award-winning Cotswolds distillery have announced their latest single malt whisky release - the Cotswolds Reserve. As with all bottlings from the English distillery, the whisky is made using 100% local barley. The spirit has been filled and matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) ex-red wine casks. These have then been combined in a ratio of 80% bourbon and 20% red wine cask to create the Cotswolds Reserve. It is bottled at 50% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and natural colour. The Cotswolds Reserve is available via www.cotswoldsdistillery.com and specialist whisky retailers. A bottle will cost £55.
 
"We are excited to launch this smooth and elegant whisky, which combines first-fill ex-bourbon and STR ex-red wine casks. We think Cotswolds Reserve is one of the most approachable whiskies we have ever produced."
Daniel Szor / Founder of Cotswolds.


Jameson
 

The leading Irish whiskey brand of Jameson has announced a rare older expression as a limited edition - the Jameson 21 years old. The new whiskey features spirit that was filled to cask at the turn of the 21st century. It is a combination of single pot still and single grain whiskeys, all produced at the Midleton distillery in Co. Cork. 
 
They have matured in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 18 years, before they were blended together and then re-casked into ex-bourbon barrels for a final three year period. The whiskey was then finally married together with a small amount of single pot still whiskey that had matured for 21 years in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry butts.

The Jameson 21 years old is bottled at the natural cask strength of 57.2% ABV and will only be available via a ballot. There are just 2,301 bottles with each costing €310. The ballot closes to applications at 6pm GMT on Wednesday 17 November. To enter the ballot - click here.
 

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Review / Cotswolds Bourbon Cask

This whisky is the latest addition to the Cask Collection series from Cotswolds, the award-winning English distillery. The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask has been created using 100% Cotswolds barley with the spirit then undergoing full maturation in first-fill…


This whisky is the latest addition to the Cask Collection series from Cotswolds, the award-winning English distillery. The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask has been created using 100% Cotswolds barley with the spirit then undergoing full maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels made from American white oak. It joins the Founder's Choice, Peated Cask and Sherry Cask in the collection. The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask is bottled at 59.1% ABV and both is non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is exclusively available via www.cotswoldsdistillery.com and their three retail shops. These are located at the distillery in Stourton and in the towns of Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water. The price is £64.95. 

The Cotswolds distillery is located in the village of Stourton and was founded in 2014 by Daniel Szor. The company ethos is to only use barley grown on Cotswold farms and filtered water from the village supply. This barley is then malted on a traditional malt floor at the local maltsters in nearby Warminster. Whisky and gin are produced along with a range of liqueurs. The distillery run tours daily and also have a shop and tasting room on site.

Our tasting notes

The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is fresh and sweet. Aromas of vanilla, runny honey and white chocolate hit first and are supported by oat biscuits and a hint of coconut. Underneath are suggestive hints of fresh sawdust, green apple, patisserie pastry, a pinch of cinnamon spice and lemon zest. Very enticing.

On the palate this whisky is immediately hot and peppery. The high ABV kicks the senses and takes time to settle. With a little patience the heat slowly subsides and a delicious set of flavours begin to layer on top of each other. First comes a wave of vanilla and white chocolate with background notes of creamed coconut and gingerbread. Then comes a hint of juicy tropical fruit drizzled with honey and something reminiscent of apricot compote. The layers keep coming with dried citrus zest (both lemon and lime), some tart green apple and an increasingly influential note of malted cereals - this again has the biscuit-like quality felt on the nose.

The finish is of decent length and becomes increasingly hot as the sweeter and fruity notes fade. The result is that the malt, spices and a distinct oaky note take control again. This gives the whisky plenty of grip, structure and warmth once the whisky has been swallowed.

What's the verdict?

This is another delicious offering from Cotswolds. It is easy to see why they have won so many awards and gained so many fans. Right from the word go, you know you are in for a treat. The nose is fabulous and leaps from the glass. The palate takes time to evolve but is worth battling through the aggressively high strength. That is our only issue with this whisky - a lower ABV could have helped here and made it more accessible to more people. Otherwise, very good.


Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (October 22, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky an…



Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 
 
Here is the round-up of this week's news ...
 
________
 
 

Cotswolds
The award-winning English distillery of Cotswolds has revealed the latest addition to its Cask Collection series - the Cotswolds Bourbon Cask. The whisky has been created using 100% Cotswolds barley and the spirit has undergone maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It joins the Founder's Choice, Peated Cask and Sherry Cask in the collection. The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask is bottled at 59.1% ABV and is non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is exclusively available via www.cotswoldsdistillery.com and their three retail shops. These are located at the distillery in Stourton and in the towns of Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water. Each bottle will cost £64.95.
 

 

Hibiki
The House of Suntory has announced a special limited edition version of its popular Hibiki blended whisky. The Hibiki Japanese Harmony Limited Edition 2021 has been created to show the passage through the seasons in the Japanese calendar. The bottle and carton are filled with hand-painted floral designs and depictions of water. These symbolise Ryusui-Hyakka - the season of One-Hundred Flowers and Flowing Water. The special edition is bottled at 43% ABV and will be available in selected specialist and luxury retailers. A bottle will cost £134/ $185 US.
 

 

Jameson
The best selling Irish whiskey brand of Jameson has announced a limited edition higher strength version of its Black Barrel expression. The Jameson Black Barrel Proof is bottled at 50% ABV (100 Proof) and has been created to show extra depth and richness. The whiskey is a combination of triple distilled pot still and grain whiskeys, and these have been matured in three types of cask - American oak, ex-sherry and double-charred ex-bourbon barrels. It is also non chill-filtered. The Jameson Black Barrel Proof will only be available in selected retailers in Ireland, including at Dublin airport, and will cost €60 a bottle.

 
 
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