Production of the single malt began in September 2014 at the site in the North Cotswolds under the guidance of renowned industry expert, the late Dr Jim Swan, whose work with ‘new world whisky’ distilleries has brought whiskies such as Kavalan, Amrut and Milk & Honey to global attention.

The distillery (whose Cotswolds Dry Gin was voted ‘Best London Dry Gin’ at the 2016 World Gin Awards) has received growing attention following praise from industry specialist Jim Murray, who awarded the young previews of the spirit 94/100 and a ‘Liquid Gold’ award in both the 2016 and 2017 editions of his annual Whisky Bible.

Rich and fruity in style, the Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky has been matured in a combination of first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and specially shaved, toasted and re-charred red wine casks, resulting in a striking depth and balance in such a young expression.

The provenance of the raw ingredients is highly important to the distillery, who have unusually committed to using only Cotswolds-grown, floor-malted barley in all their single malt whiskies. And in a move that chimes in with the growing (but controversial) transparency movement in the whisky industry, the barley variety and local farm it was grown on will be listed on each bottle, with detailed production data for each release given on the distillery’s website.

Daniel Szor, founder and CEO, Cotswolds Distillery commented: “Our Single Malt is the culmination of years of hard work, combining over five decades of ‘grain to glass’ production knowledge from internationally-renowned experts with the region’s best-in-class ingredients. We’ve managed to produce something truly remarkable, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.” 

Tasting Notes: On the nose, honey and butterscotch, layered with light fruits (peaches, apricots) and a hint of marzipan. The palate is rich with malt, oils and dark sugar. Spice and caramelised bitter orange lead into a long, resinous finish with dark red fruits and a hint of treacle.

The non-chill filtered whisky is bottled at 46% ABV and is available at an RRP £44.95 for 70cl.  For more details on the distillery and its Single Malt Whisky, visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com