The Cotswolds Distillery is Delighted to Launch its Second Amaro Whisky Liqueur Expression: Cotswolds No 2 Whisky Amaro

Following on from the successful launch of Cotswolds No 1 at the beginning of the year, Cotswolds No 2 Whisky Amaro will make an excellent addition to the home bar and is the perfect after dinner digestif, best served well-chilled on the rocks and ideal for Christmas celebrations.

The base for Cotswolds No 2 is Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt whisky. A selection of botanicals including chamomile, citrus and herbs are added, resulting in a complex, herbaceous liqueur with notes of spice and a slightly bitter finish.

Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky was awarded ‘Best World Whisky’ at the International Whisky Competition 2020.  As the spirit is matured in ex-peated quarter casks the resulting whisky is wonderfully balanced, rich and fruity with subtle notes of peat smoke.

As a comparison, Cotswolds No 1 Whisky Amaro has the flagship Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky as the base with a blend of selected botanicals including vanilla, citrus and spice have been added to create a lighter Amaro liqueur with pronounced herbal and floral notes.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Treacle tart, lapsang souchong tea, full of rich, smoky and sweet aromas.

Palate: Light smoke with sweet burnt caramel and bittersweet herbal notes

Finish: Smoke fades with a touch of caramelised peaches and long bittersweet finish.

Cotswolds No 2 Whisky Amaro RRP: £34.95 for a 500ml bottle ABV: 40% – non-chill filtered  

Available to purchase exclusively from Cotswolds Distillery: www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

Cotswolds No 1 Whisky Amaro RRP:  £34.95 for a 500ml bottleABV: 40% non-chill filtered

Available to purchase exclusively from The Cotswolds Distillery

Instagram: @cotswoldsdistillery Facebook:  @cotswoldsdistillery Twitter: @cotswoldistill

Celebrate Old Fashioned Week (30th October – 8th November) with these Four Amazing Cocktail Recipes from Around the World

The onset of Autumn means the welcome return of Old Fashioned Week (1st November – 10^th  November). We hope these delicious recipes inspire you to get creative and have a go at creating this classic cocktail:

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky – this award winning English single malt whisky adds a twist to the classic recipe which is simplicity in a glass. With delicious notes of sweet malted barley, hints of caramel and overtones of toasted butterscotch, with a marmalade finish – delicious:

Ingredients: 60ml Cotswolds Distillery Single Malt Whisky, 10ml maple syrup and 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters

Method: dissolve the whisky and maple syrup in a cocktail jar or glass. Add ice and stir continuously for dilution. Add the bitters, more ice and stir a few more times. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass, express orange peel around the glass. Garnish with the orange peel and serve.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky: RRP: £39 for 700 ml. ABV 46%. Available from: Sainsburys,  waitrose.com, majestic.co.uk, thewhiskyexchange.com, Harrods, Laithwaites and cotswoldsdistillery.com

Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt WhiskyGolden Old Fashioned – add an Indian touch to your Old Fashioned with this stunning subtly spiced recipe created by @Mix.Mann which includes Cumin, Star Anise, Orange Peel and Demerara Sugar. The addition of Black Pepper Cardamom Bitters adds further spice.

Cumin Anise Syrup ingredients: 

half teaspoon Cumin Seeds (place in palm of hand, use your other thumb to apply pressure whilst rubbing the seeds, this opens them up releasing the delicious aromas), 

2 pods/points from a Star Anise, 

Orange Peel from 1 x Orange (remove as much pith as possible), 

200ml Water 

200ml Demerara Sugar.

Method: add all the ingredients to a saucepan. Gently bring to the boil, stir occasionally and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean jar to remove the spices and peels. Store in the fridge.

Rampur Golden Old Fashioned ingredients: 

60ml Rampur Double Cask Single Malt Whisky, 10ml Cumin Anise Syrup, 

1 x dash Ms Betters Bitters Black Pepper Cardamom Bitters 

Garnish with dehydrated orange wheel, STARLINO Maraschino Cherry and Star Anise

Method: add all the ingredients to a mixing glass half filled with ice. Stir for 30 seconds, add more ice and stir again for 30-40 seconds. Strain into a glass over a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish.

Rampur Double Cask Single Malt Whisky: RRP: £60 for a 70cl bottle 45% ABVAvailable from: www.thewhiskyexchange.com and www.masterofmalt.com

Storywood Tequila – why not add a twist to the cocktail and create an Old Fashioned with a whisky aged Tequila – Storywood Speyside 14 Añejo

Ingredients: 50ml Storywood Speyside 14 Añejo, 10ml agave syrup, 2 dashes of bitters and dehydrated orange wheel.

Method: Stir half the tequila with three cubes of ice in a glass. Add agave syrup, bitters and two more ice cubes, before stirring again. Add the rest of the tequila before stirring once more. Add more ice cubes, if there is room, and garnish with a  dehydrated orange wheel.

Storywood Tequila Speyside 14 Añejo. RRP: £47.45 for a 700ml bottle. ABV: 40% available from: amazon.co.uk and proofdrinks.com

J&B Rare –create your Old Fashioned with a blended whisky #theunexpectedwhisky. J&B Rare was created in the 1930’s and is distilled, blended and bottled in Scotland

Ingredients: 50ml J&B Rare, 1 x sugar cube, 2 x dashes of Angostura Bitters and orange zest to garnish

Method: stir all the ingredients in a rocks glass, adding ice as you go along. Garnish with orange zest and STARLINO Maraschino Cherries

J&B Rare RRP: £22.50 for a 70cl bottle. ABV 40% available from: Waitrose, thewhiskyexchange.com, masterofmalt.com and Justerini & Brooks.

Hotel STARLINO Maraschino Cherries would add the final flourish to an Old Fashioned Cocktail. Hailing from San Gennaro, Vesuviano, close to Naples, these cherries are moreish and a delicious addition to the classic cocktail:

Hotel STARLINO Maraschino Cherries are available from: Amazon, Master of Malt and Proof Drinks  

RRP: £10 for a 400g jar and £20 for a 1kg tin

Cotswolds Distillery Launches Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky

Cotswolds Distillery Launches Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky

Adding to their award-winning collection of English Single Malt Whiskies, The Cotswolds Distillery is delighted to announce the launch of Cotswolds Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky.

Their latest whisky is a marriage of Cotswolds Single Malt whiskies fully matured in American and Spanish oak hogsheads and butts, seasoned with Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries. To taste, Cotswolds Sherry Cask is full of dark stone fruits with a hint of roasted almonds, followed by peppery oak spice.

The distillery uses 100% locally grown barley from the Cotswolds, which is traditionally floor-malted by hand at Warminster, Britain’s oldest working malting. The barley is mashed and fermented for over 90 hours before being distilled twice in their bespoke copper pot stills. The new make spirit is smooth, complex and fruity with only the purest ‘heart’ cut taken for cask maturation

Each yearly batch of Cotswolds Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky will be unique, drawn from their finest American and Spanish oak hogsheads and butts, some seasoned with dry Oloroso sherry and others seasoned with Pedro Ximenez. Every batch has been sherry-aged throughout their full maturation which allows the whisky to develop a full and deeper flavour.

Cotswolds Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky is non-chill filtered, with natural colouring and has an ABV of 57.4%. 

Nickolas Franchino, Head of Production at Cotswolds Distillery, says: “I love a sherry cask whisky as it is one of the truly iconic single malt whisky styles. Good sherry casks give rich, fruity, spicy and nutty flavours that marry perfectly with the underlying malt character and are a joy to savour.”

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Brown sugar and cherry pie with a touch of roasted coffee beans.

Palate: Viscous and rich. Full of dark stone fruits and a hint of roasted almonds.

Finish: Peppery oak spice accompanied by notes of dried fruit.

RRP: £64.95 for 700ml bottle. ABV: 57.4%

Instagram: @cotswoldsdistillery Facebook: @cotswoldsdistillery Twitter: @cotswoldistill

Available to purchase exclusively from Cotswolds Distillery from 15th October: www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

Cotswolds Distillery launches the first expression from the Amaro Whisky Liqueur Collection – Cotswolds Amaro No 1

In celebration of World Whisky Day on the 16th May 2020, The Cotswolds Distillery is delighted to announce the release of the first expression from the new range of Cotswolds Amaro Whisky Liqueurs.

Inspired by Amaro, the Italian herbal liqueur which is typically enjoyed as an after-dinner ‘digestif’, Cotswolds Distillery has created a collection of whisky liqueurs which recreate this drinking moment, The Cotswolds Amaro Whisky Liqueurs.

The first expression, Cotswolds Amaro No 1, has the flagship Cotswolds Single Malt as the base to which a blend of select botanicals including vanilla, citrus and spice have been added. The resulting liqueur is lighter with pronounced herbal and floral notes. The second expression will be launched this Autumn.

“I have always loved Amaro and wanted to create Cotswolds Distillery’s own Amaro liqueur”, says Daniel Szor, Cotswolds Distillery Founder. “Launching Cotswolds Amaro No 1 on World Whisky Day seemed the perfect way to celebrate this wonderful day. The vanilla, spice and citrus complement our Single Malt Whisky and we hope our delicious digestif will become a favourite after-dinner drink”.

Amaro (Italian for ‘bitter’) is traditionally produced by macerating herbs, roots, flowers, bark and citrus elements in either spirit or wine (or sometimes both), before being sweetened with caramel or sugar and has a typical alcohol content of 16%-40%. It is usually bitter-sweet and is sometimes syrupy with a thick mouthfeel.

The Cotswolds Amaro Liqueur has been bottled at 40% which ensures the spices and sweetness complement the flavour coming through from the fruity whiskies.

The Cotswolds Amaro should be served well-chilled or on the rocks as an after-dinner moment, perfect for the end of a summer’s evening.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh peach with bitter black tea and subtle orange citrus fruit.

Palate: Thick and creamy with vanilla and bitter marmalade, floral with a hint of spiced honey.

Finish: Slightly bitter finish, with dried fruit and a touch of maple syrup.

Cotswolds Amaro No1

RRP: £34.95 for a 500ml bottle

ABV: 40% non-chill filtered

Available to purchase exclusively from The Cotswolds Distillery from the 16th May 2020: http://www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

Instagram: @cotswoldsdistillery Facebook:  @cotswoldsdistillery Twitter: @cotswoldistill

Celebrate World Whisky Day on the 16th May with an award-winning English whisky: Cotswolds Single Malt

Press Release

Celebrate World Whisky Day on the 16^th May with an award-winning English whisky: Cotswolds Single Malt.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky was launched in October 2017 and is the first whisky ever distilled in the Cotswolds. The distillery uses 100% locally grown, floor-malted barley and matures the whisky in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and reconditioned red wine casks. The whisky is rich, fruity and sippable with notes of honey, Seville orange marmalade and dark red fruits. Each bottle lists the barley variety, harvest year and local Cotswolds farm on which it was grown.

“I was looking out of the window of our old farmhouse in the Cotswolds at my neighbour’s fields of spring barley and thought ‘why hasn’t anyone made whisky here?’. The Cotswolds has every bit as much romance and history as the most beautiful parts of the Highlands or Lowlands, just in a very different way,” says Daniel Szor, Cotswolds Distillery Founder.

Get creative on World Whisky Day and mix your own cocktail using Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky. The English Outlaw, is a twist on the classic Manhattan and has a robust malty base which creates a complex and delicious cocktail:

Ingredients: 60ml Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, 30ml Vermouth, 1 x bar spoon of marmalade, 1 x dash of Aromatic Bitters.

Method: Dissolve the marmalade in Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, add Vermouth and dash of Aromatic Bitters, stir down with ice and fine strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cherries; Maraschino if you have them in the cupboard!

You might want to snap up the Limited Edition Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky which was launched by the distillery on St George’s Day in April.  It is the first release in a series of single malts which have been inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and is the distillery’s first ever European Oak Cask expression.

 

The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Collection will consist of yearly limited editions, with each edition presented in a gift box with a different William Morris pattern, reinforcing the creative beauty of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Each edition will not be repeated; Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky is made up of 1,680 bottles.

Hearts & Crafts Single Malt Whisky is from a selection of five premium French Oak casks seasoned with sweet Sauternes wine, which results in a honey-coloured malt with a vinous quality and notes of sweet raisin and oak wood spice.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky RRP: from £44.95 for a 700ml bottle. ABV:  46%

Available from: waitrose.com, majestic.co.uk, thewhiskyexchange.com, Harrods, Laithwaites and cotswoldsdistillery.com

Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky RRP: £74.95 for a 700 ml bottle ABV: 55.2%

Available to purchase exclusively from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com

Instagram @cotswoldsdistillery Twitter @Cotswoldistill

With these two excellent single malt whiskies why not celebrate English Single Malts instead on World Whisky Day.