I'm building a collection of non-Scottish Malt's. The intention was to get 12 bottles or so before opening, but tonight felt like a whisky with the son night, and neither of us had anything else open.
From available info Cotswolds Distillery is under ten years old and founded by a native New Yorker who now lives in this English region, which is south of the midlands, north of London, and a bit to the west but not as far west as Wales.
This is their entry level malt, with a range which at this point have been aged in different previous use barrels. Normally it is priced at £39, but a supermarket has it on offer at £30 which seemed to good an opportunity to pass up.
Not shown in the picture is the attractive box with gold on black decoration which has a suggestion of stylised barley sheaves, with a small outline of a copper still towards the top. The wording on the front of the box is a repetition of the label seen on the bottle.
The whisky has a rich colour which made me expect a deep and heavy taste in the mouth. In the glass the odour is light and has floral notes, and these carry on to the tongue. To taste it is a lot lighter, and smoother than I anticipated from a young, darker, whisky.
As well as the floral hints there is a suggestion of citrus, and the rich caramel you expect from a whisky which has had time in a bourbon barrel.
My 22 year old son is still finding his way with whisky in general and felt it gave a sharp spiciness on the front of the tongue, became smooth cool heat in the mouth, and a rewarding warmth as it goes down.
As a new distillery Cotswolds is one to keep in mind. I will definitely being getting another bottle to put in the collection, and will look to make it one of their other offerings, probably the Founder's Choice.