Cotswolds Single Malt

My comments are actually for Cotswold Single Malt, my apologies to everyone. Cotswold is only about three years old; I can scarcely imagine how good a 10-12 year old would be. I was eager to sample this even though it wasn't available in my region, so I acquired it from a source in San Diego. The reviews were universally positive: "Whisky Bible" 94-95, Distillers.com 87, and TheWhiskeyReviewer "A". The Cotswold distillery is new, having begun operations in 2014. They are meticulously producing a single malt using traditional methods, including stone floor maltings, local barley harvests, turning the malted barley with wooden implements, fermenting for FOUR days instead of the usual two to encourage fruity-floral notes, using a narrower cut of the middle distillate, and so on. Their dedication is evident in my bottle, which is superb. My bottle indicates it is 92 proof, from the 2014 crop of Odyssey barley from Barrington Park Farm, bottled in 02/2018, and is one of 8600 bottles. I am aware that Macallan utilizes Odyessy barley, and this dram strongly reminds me of a Macallan without a sherry finish. In the glass, it displays a copper amber hue with good legs. The aroma offers slightly sweet fruity malt, a hint of honey, and is generally very mellow. On the tongue, it is thick, almost oily. It tastes of malt and honey, a whisper of brown sugar, gentle spice, and a ripe fruit – apricot jam? There is warmth in the finish, and these flavors persist nicely. My initial tasting seemed a bit intense without a drop or two of water. However, the following day, and then the day after that as well (I needed to be certain), this was not an issue at all. I'm unsure if the difference was due to my mood, etc., or the bottle opening. This is truly excellent stuff. They have earned 19 gold medals in recent years, and I would say they are well-deserved. Explore their informative website listed here on Proof66; it's quite interesting. I believe this retails for around $60 but is not widely distributed. May the Force be with you and may you find a bottle.

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #6 This is a tasting of Cotswold’s Signature 2022 Small Batch Release. Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla cream, honey, and lemongrass tea. Orange blossom water, red berry jam on fresh-baked rolls. The character is soft and enveloping, like a cashmere scarf. A soothing and relaxing nose with body. Palate: The arrival is full of soft orange liqueur, creamy barley, lemon curd, and light syrup. In development, it shows barley sugar, strawberry, cherries, almond meal, and nougat. The texture is smooth, rich, and creamy. Finish: Medium. The sweet fruity profile fades into a mildly spicy aftertaste (cinnamon, tannin) with a touch of orange marmalade and morello cherry. A very good young single malt that is remarkably soft and inviting on both the nose and palate while having a well-defined presence and some complexity. Water brings out pleasant spicy notes, but overall I preferred it neat. This dram was virtually identical to the two Cotswolds Odyssey Barley expressions I've previously tasted, and since it has the same cask type, ABV, and batch size, I decided to rate it here as a core-range offering rather than start a new thread. The higher strength expressions, the peated whiskies, and the cask finishes are another story, of course, but all the unpeated 46% Cotswolds releases display the same distillery DNA and are frankly hard to distinguish. Which is not a bad thing because it's a little cracker of a whisky, easy to find in any of its forms, and offers great value for money. I base my ratings solely on quality, but if I did factor cost into the equation, I'd give this 4 stars without hesitation. Great stuff. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)

To kick off my exploration of Cotswolds offerings, I have a sample of their 2014 Odyssey Barley, bottled at 46% ABV. The nose is light and subtle, but with time, notes emerge, starting with powdered sugar-dusted strawberries, caramelized peaches, and Angel food cake, then blond roast espresso, honeycomb, and toasted almonds, followed by raspberry coulis, dehydrated apricots, and lemon zest, transitioning to light baking spices and mild toasted oak with minimal ethanol burn. The taste presents a thin to medium mouthfeel, beginning with creamy tropical fruits, powdered sugar-dusted strawberries, and Angel food cake, then blond roast espresso, honeysuckle, and chocolate-covered toasted almonds, followed by raspberry jam, dehydrated apricots, and lemon zest, transitioning to light baking spices, black pepper, and mild toasted oak with minimal ethanol burn. The finish is medium length, featuring dehydrated raspberries, pineapple, tropical fruits, honeysuckle, blonde espresso, light baking spices, and toasted oak. I genuinely appreciate what Cotswolds has created with this soft, subtle, and incredibly well-balanced dram, which combines creamy citrus with light red berries and a gentle earthiness that I believe most would thoroughly enjoy and is reasonably priced at approximately $60+.

Received this whisky as a Christmas gift for my father last year. We recently shared a serving amidst the roses on a lovely English summer evening; few settings could be better. Nose: Oily with a slight mustiness. A dusty oat sack, malt, rich butterscotch, citrus oil, and waxy lemon peel. Faint almond and a distinctly herbal/floral note. Surprisingly intricate and delicate. Palate: A smooth texture with a well-balanced presence. Sweet, sticky barley sugar, orange liqueur, nutty marzipan, and chewy honey. Perhaps a lighter, brighter note of strawberry or raspberry is present too. Excellent development of layered textures and flavors that harmonize well with a hint of black pepper throughout. Finish: Medium to long. Tannic and a bit spicy. Black pepper, bordering on cumin?, bitter orange, and a slightly tannic vanillin character. Altogether enjoyable, complex, and refined beyond its age, with a unique textural complexity and wonderful flavor variation. I anticipate this distillery will become a major player in the future. Strongly suggest experiencing this one. GBP £34 | AUD $103

A complex Single Malt Scotch from Cotswolds Distillery, located in Cotswolds, England, made from premium local barley, traditionally malted, with a lengthy fermentation and slow distillation in a classic Forsyth copper pot still; then matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and wine barrels. It begins aromatically with hints of honey, butterscotch, subtle peach, apricot, and marzipan; its rich and bold character adds notes of malt, oil, dark sugar, spices, and caramelized Seville orange marmalade; leading to a long and tropical conclusion with notes of orange zest, dark red fruits, and a touch of molasses. January / August 2020 / March 2021 / July 2022

Drammers club pour. 2014 Odyssey Barley Batch 8550, specifically the first Cotswolds. Matured 70% in American oak str rioja wine casks and 30% in first-fill bourbon casks, it possesses a very enjoyable Glenmorangie flavor profile. Nose: Honey, Berries, Cherries, Caramel, Vanilla, Citrus, Banana, Peaches, Apricots, Flowers, Orange, Butterscotch, Pineapples, Mangoes, Raisins, Plums, Apples, Dried Fruits, Passion Fruit Palate: Butterscotch, Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Orange, Demarara Sugar, Pineapples, Pepper, Raisins Finish: Vanilla, Honey, Burnt Pineapples, Red Berries, Pepper, Apricots, Raisins, Caramel, Toffee, Apples