My review is really for Cotswold Single Malt, apologies to all. Cotswold is only in the neighborhood of three years age, I can hardly imagine how good a 10-12 year would be. I wanted to try this even though it wasn't available in my area, so got it from a San Diego source. Reviews were all excellent: "Whisky Bible" 94-95, Distillers.com 87, and TheWhiskeyReviewer "A". The Cotswold distillery is new, having opened in 2014. They are going to great pains to produce a single malt in the traditional way with stone floor maltings, local barley crop, turning the malted barley with wooden shovels and rakes, fermenting for FOUR days rather than the typical two days to allow fruity-floral notes, using a narrower width of the middle distillate, etc. Their efforts are shown in my bottle, which is wonderful. My bottle states that it is 92 proof, 2014 crop of Odyssey barley from the Barrington Park Farm, bottled in 02/2018, and is one of 8600 bottles. I know Macallan uses Odyessy barley, and this dram reminds me very much of a non-sherry finish Macallan. In the glass it is a copper amber with good legs. The nose offers slightly sweet fruity malt, a touch of honey, and is overall very soft. On the tongue it is thick, almost oily. It tastes of malt and honey, a hint of brown sugar, gentle spice, and a ripened fruit--apricot jam? There is warmth on the finish and these flavors linger well. My first dram seemed a little hot without a drop or two of water. However, the next day, and then the next day as well (had to be sure) this was not an issue at all. Not sure if the difference was my mood, etc., or the opening of the bottle. This is really good stuff. They have won 19 golds in the past couple years, and I would say deservedly so. Check out their informative website listed here on Proof66, it is interesting. I think this retails for $60 or so, but is not widely distributed. May the Force be with you and to find a bottle.
65.0
USD
per
Bottle