Cotswolds Founders Choice - Single Malt Whisky

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 59.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A distinctive cask treatment shapes the entire maturation of Founder's Choice. This single malt matures exclusively in American oak barriques previously used for red wine, the favourite casks of distillery founder Dan Szor. Developed by Dr. Jim Swan, the STR process involves shaving the inner wood surface, toasting it and charring it again. These treated casks give the fruity spirit pronounced notes of toffee, chocolate and red fruit, along with a deep natural colour.

The whisky is made exclusively from Cotswolds barley malted on traditional malting floors. Founder's Choice belongs to the Cask Expressions Collection and is bottled at cask strength. The 59.1% release offered here comprises 2,500 bottles. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured and comes in a 0.7-litre bottle with gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, dry hay and freshly cut wood accompany bold dark chocolate. Dried figs and plums preserved in syrup add a sweet fruit note.
• Palate: On the palate, warming cereal notes and toasted bread combine with fresh red fruit and butterscotch.
• Finish: The finish combines subtle oak spice with sweet dried fruit. A nutty, dry note lingers.

Distillery/Bottler:

Cotswolds Distillery grew out of Dan Szor's ambition to turn the barley of his adopted English home into whisky. Born in New York, he had previously worked in finance in London. His distillery opened in July 2014, followed by its first single malt in October 2017. Former Bowmore distillery manager Harry Cockburn and whisky expert Dr. Jim Swan helped him establish the distillery.

For its single malts, the distillery has locally grown barley turned by hand on traditional malting floors at Warminster Maltings. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vessels using the two yeast strains Anchor and Fermentis and lasts more than 90 hours. This produces fruity esters that help shape the character of the eventual whisky. During double distillation, collection of the heart begins early and also ends relatively early, retaining the desired fruity compounds while excluding heavier components.

Facts: