Cotswolds Founder's Choice

Young and alcoholic, a complex drink that requires a snack, well, excuse me.. 20 19 19 19 77

NOSE: Sweet barley juice, alcohol. Fruity notes. With air; fresh red fruits, some dried yellow fruits. (86-87p) With a few teaspoons of water the maltiness opens up but doesn’t change in character. (87-88p) TASTE: The arrival is strong, medium sweet. On the mid palate; rich in taste, sweet, some fruitiness but difficult to discern without water. (85-87p) With a few teaspoons of water the barley sweetness becomes more prominent and the pepperiness subsides a bit. (86-87p) FINISH: Mint, white pepper. (84-85p) OVERALL: A clean and well made (?) barley and distillate driven whisky where the wine cask plays 2nd violin. Total score 86-87 points.

A very good English whisky - could give a lot of malts from North of the Border a run for their money.

Matured in 100% STR Casks but the spirit character is not completely lost. Yes it's young but the quality of the spirit shines through. Value (£60) : 5/10

Nose 22, taste 22, finish 21, balance 22

I would have never guessed the ABV was so high, as the alcohol level adds nothing in the way of hotness or harshness. In terms of extremes, there's only the pepper and tannins that add sharper peaks to an otherwise fairly measured whisky, but it is also on the sweet side which might have been pushed too far in that direction if it wasn't for some late bitterness. As with the other Cotswolds bottles I've tasted (which all have STR casks in their DNA), the mouthfeel is satisfyingly thick, like runny honey. This tastes like their standard bottling's rich uncle, which I guess was the point.

I like it very much, but a bit too bitter for my taste. Lots of wood.

Tried Stratail in barrels aged, from the series Càrn Mòr, it was very tasty. Here, in principle, is also nice, but did not cause admiration.

I will add water later. First, the neat impression: Nose: From the second I pour the bottle into the glass, sweet strawberries fill the room. There is quite some alcohol buried deep inside it, just deep enough to not hurt my nose at all. Behind the strawberries, sugared peaches and hazelnut cream can be found. A strong bitterness emerges when I put my nose into the glass, I presume it's the wood that tries to announce its presence. Taste: Ooh, that's mouth-watering and strong. In the sea that swirls in my mouth, wooden planks and walnuts and raspberries unite with the lovely taste of vomit. I should not think about it. This is not a whisky which one should drink without any water. Finish: The cask's wood wins this. On the tongue, dried tropical fruit (mango, papaya) reminds me why I instantly liked this whisky when I tried it a few weeks ago. Water? Water! Nose: Even softer than before, the watered nose offers cherry compote, oranges and neither alcohol nor any kind of wood. Good! Taste: The whisky is surprisingly thin now, coming with not much more than a solid sherry cask flavor (milk chocolate, red berries; you know the deal) and a good amount of wood spicyness. Hmm. I have not added more water than I should, so I guess that this is a balancing problem. Finish: Cocoa and German licorice (e.g. HARIBO's offerings) come to my mind. Mouth-watering again, the whisky puts a fresh wooden plank on my tongue when I already thought it was gone. At least it is a long finish.

Notes from an online blind tasting ...

Vault w Rob Patchett, Global Ambassador. Golden. Nose: Dish, fruit. Taste: Fad, vanilla, light acid, fruit. Great fullness and body.

20+19+19+19

Prickles the nose. Big intense whisky. Red wood bark, red winey, thick and coating, syrupy fruit jam, licorice, raw honey, fall spices. Long fruity finish and a little tart on side of the tongue. This is very, very good. Only gets better the longer you sip it.