Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky - 59.6%

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 59.6% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Cotswolds Peated Cask gains its smoky character during maturation. The whisky spends its entire maturation in Quarter Casks from Islay that previously held peated whisky, rather than simply receiving a final finish in them. Their previous contents add restrained peat smoke to the distillery's fruity character, alongside vanilla notes from the oak. This bottling belongs to the Cask Expressions Collection, which explores different cask types.

The whisky is made exclusively from Cotswolds barley, traditionally floor-malted. This release was bottled at a cask strength of 59.6%, with an outturn of 1,600 bottles. It retains its natural colour and is not chill-filtered. It comes in a 0.7-litre bottle with gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, vanilla meets a light note of charred wood. Dried fruit and a hint of spice round out the aromas.
• Palate: On the palate, the peat smoke feels creamy. Bright fruit notes lie over it, while tannic wood adds a more astringent accent.
• Finish: In the lingering finish, the smoky notes recall glowing embers. Floral honey and woody sweetness accompany them.

Distillery/Bottler:

Cotswolds Distillery opened its doors in July 2014. Its founder, Dan, had previously worked in London's financial sector and wanted to use barley from his new home region to make whisky. The first Cotswolds Signature Single Malt was released in October 2017. From this starting point, the distillery developed further cask maturations, limited editions and single-cask bottlings.

For its single malt, the distillery has locally grown barley malted at Warminster Maltings, where it is turned by hand on malting floors. At the distillery, the wort ferments in steel tanks for more than 90 hours using the two yeast strains Anchor and Fermentis. This long fermentation encourages the formation of fruity esters. Double distillation follows: the heart cut begins early to capture the fruity compounds and also ends comparatively early, before heavier components predominate. This fruit-focused production style provides a counterpoint to the smoky influence of the Peated Casks.

Facts: