Cotswolds 7yo 2017/2024

Cotswolds 7yo 2017/2024

Single Cask, Nickolls & Perks
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Mahogany 
59.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, cotton candy, pomegranate molasses, raisins, malted grains, honey, red wine, hints of red grapes. With water, honey, cotton candy, golden syrup, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 

Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, raisins, pomegranate molasses, raisins, black pepper, black tea, hints of coffee. With water, apple juice, pomegranate molasses, raisins, honey. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, pomegranate molasses, honey, raisins, Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask 1355. Sweet and spicy, lots of fruit and herbal notes. There’s plenty of pomegranate molasses, black pepper and even coffee. Water brings out notes of apple and cotton candy. What a delicious dram!

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds Bourbon Cask

Cotswolds Bourbon Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Warwickshire
Golden, hints of brown
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, peaches, malted grains, cream, vanilla sponge, honey, hints of cinnamon. With water, malted grains, mint, honey, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, malted grains, peaches, cinnamon, sourdough bread, vanilla sponge, white pepper. With water, malted grains, peaches, honey, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, sourdough bread, malted grains, honey. 

Comments: 

Unexpectedly amazing. This whisky is redolent of bread and peaches and white pepper. It’s citrusy and rich, filling the mouth in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed this very much.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds 5yo 2018/2023

Cotswolds 5yo 2018/2023

#06, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Amber red 
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, caramel, strawberry laces, oatcakes, aluminium foil, pears. With water, strawberry laces, apple juice, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Apple juice, caramel, oatcakes, cola nuts, red grapes, butterscotch, hints of aluminium foil. With water, black pepper, oatcakes, cocoa nibs, apple juice. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, cola nuts, oatcakes, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Intense and fruity, lots of sweet notes but also a tartness that you get from malic acid and red grapes. It’s feinty too, and complex. Water dissolves some of the tart notes and brings out even more fruitiness. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds Sherry Cask

Cotswolds Sherry Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Amber gold
57.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Desiccated coconut, aluminium foil, raisins, dark chocolate, oatcakes, sea salt, hints of magic marker. With water, honey, dark chocolate, hoppy beer. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, tingly, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, cinnamon, malted grains, candied oranges, aluminium foil, dark chocolate, hints of hoppy beer. With water, sea salt, hoppy beer, raisins, malted grains. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, hoppy beer, orange peel, raisins, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Malty and mean, lots of intense notes that aren’t overly sherried. There’s plenty of savoury and feinty notes here, they give the whisky an edge. Unusual and enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cotswolds Distillery Exclusive Madeira Cask

Cotswolds Distillery Exclusive Madeira Cask 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Bronze
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, toffee, toast, raisins, dulce de leche, ginger, hints of allspice. With water, yoghurt, honey, brown paper, toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, loosens, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cocoa powder, toast, toffee, apple juice, dulce de leche, toast. With water, raisins, apple juice, brown paper, honey, toast. 
Finish: Medium. Apple juice, toast, cocoa powder, toffee, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

This whisky is milky and loaded with toffee notes. There are a lot of big, sweet notes, along with a little toast. The winey, fruity notes aren’t really there, instead it’s quite restrained. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cotswolds Hearts and Crafts Batch 1

Cotswolds Hearts and Crafts Batch 1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Golden, hints of bronze
55.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, apricots, vanilla, white grapes, peanuts, grapefruit, hints of saffron. With water, orange peel, tonka bean, grapefruit. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, thickens, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Apricots, limes, honey, fresh baked bread, grapefruit, saffron. With water, limes, orange peel, grapefruit, tonka bean, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, apricots, tonka bean, fresh baked bread, hints of limes. 

Comments: 

Sauternes cask finished whisky. It’s fruity, but surprisingly, not too sweet. Lots of apricot and limey citrus, lots of vegetal vanilla that I interpret as tonka bean. There’s a spicy edge to it as well, that’s saffron. Very interesting, and very tasty.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds 2015 Odyssey Barley

Cotswolds 2015 Odyssey Barley 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, malted grains, cola nuts, vanilla, cloves, hints of camphor, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, marmalade, mangoes, cream, vanilla, sarsaparilla, white grapes, hints of oats. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, oats, sarsaparilla, hints of honey. 

Comments: 

Some good wood was used to mature this whisky! Even at a lower ABV it’s quite intense and complex. Lots of herbs, almost root beer like, but with plenty of cereally bite as well. Highly enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cotswolds Peated Cask Batch 01/2019

Cotswolds Peated Cask Batch 01/2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Warwickshire
Light gold
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, honeydew melon, cream, peat, pear juice, hints of smoke, hints of white grapes. With water, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White grapes, honeydew melon, white raisins, peat, leather, smoke, black tea, hints of new plastic. With water, leather, peat, white raisins, vanilla, hints of lemon juice. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, milk, lemon juice, leather, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

This whisky is wild, the flavour profile feels jumbled, disordered, with the flavours not distinct and changing. Yet somehow it works well, the fruit fades to peat which fades to bitterness, which fades from the palate. I really do like this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cotswolds Founders Choice Single Malt

Cotswolds Founders Choice Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Warwickshire
Dark copper
60.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, honeycomb, leather, raisins, hints of yoghurt. With water, strawberries, milk, milk chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  BItter sweet. Raisins, orange peel, honey, yoghurt, hints of milk chocolate. With water, strawberries, milk chocolate, honeycomb. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, milk chocolate, orange peel, vanilla, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

Batch 02/2018. Sweet and unctuous whisky very strong. Slightly lactic and funky, with hits of yoghurt, maybe even sour cream. Opens up well with water, turns fragrant and even sweeter.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cotswolds Single Malt

Cotswolds Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Warwickshire
Copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, honey, lemon zest, prunes, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, sticky, slightly chewy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cream, fresh baked bread, honey, prunes, sea salt, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, honey, plums. 

Comments: 

Light flavours, but very thick and heavy on the mouth. Lovely fragrant notes of fruit and bread, yet quite salty. It develops in the glass as well, turning more savoury, noticeably saline, after 15 or 20 minutes. Very good whisky, I make this about 3 years old (2014/2018).

Verdict:

I like this.