Category: Single Malt

Distillery: Cotswolds Distillery

Bottling series: Small Batch Release

Bottled: 2022

Cask Type: STR American oak red wine casks

Number of bottles: 2500

Strength: 59.1 %

Size: 700 ml

Non-Chill Filtered & Uncolored

Nose
As soon as I opened the bottle, I briefly sniffed both the bottle and the cork; the cork evoked hints of red fruit, while the bottle revealed abundant vanilla and traces of citrus. I poured 4 cl into a Glencairn glass and let it breathe for 15 minutes. Upon sniffing it again, I initially detected faint sulfuric notes (boiled or rotten egg, vegetable-like nuances, and sulfur). After adding 6–7 drops of water, I picked up notes of toasted oak spices and dry wood, accompanied by subtle background hints of apple, apricot, damson plum, quince, biscuit-like malt, and faint, elusive traces of cocoa or caramel.

Taste
I took a small, neat sip here to prime my palate, detecting notes of fruity confectionery and a pronounced, hot, spicy burn. After adding about 6–7 ml of water and sipping again, it became smoother and more flavorful; there is an initial slightly oily sensation that intensifies a notch as it is swirled in the mouth. It has a medium body and is highly aromatic, with a structure that is slightly drying and tannic yet balanced. As I continued to sip, the flavor profile featuring intense peach, subtle apricot, hints of honey and raisin, and abundant citrus notes including their acidic zest reminded me somewhat of a mixed fruit juice this is accompanied by a strong sensation of charred black oak, plenty of black pepper, and a touch of ginger.

Finish
The finish mirrors the flavors found on the palate but is more subdued and slightly lighter in character. Immediately upon swallowing, sensations of burnt black wood and spices such as black and white pepper emerge in the throat and on the tongue the burnt wood note, in particular, lingers for a while. Subsequently, as I exhale through the nose, subtle hints reminiscent of citrus, peach, and apple skin surface alongside doughy malt, drying oak tannins, and faint notes of dried grass; the finish is of medium duration or perhaps somewhere between medium and short.

Overall, I’d say it’s a good whisky. It’s a bit weak on the nose, yet one can detect nuances that lie slightly outside the usual profile. On the palate, it noticeably burned and numbed my tongue when drunk neat however, adding water transformed it into a character with rich, aromatic intensity though that sensation of charred oak, that "blackness," always lingers in the background. Despite being a cask strength whisky, it is generally available at a reasonable price point it embodies the character of a standard, everyday English whisky worth trying. Cheers.

Nose: 83/100

Taste: 84/100

Finish: 83/100

Price: 59€

My ratings are generally based on Whiskybase tradition and calibration, and while scored out of 100, they are structured within a narrower range.

<79 May have flaws.
80-82 Borderline acceptable.
83 Average daily good.
84 Good, nice, pleasant, liked.
85 Very good, deep, rich.
86+ Excellent.

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Details in comments!

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