It’s great to see so many new distilleries open across the UK, as well as the return of whisky production, but of course both producers and would-be consumers of Anglo-whisky need to be patient, as it takes three years and a day to produce spirit that can legally be called whisky.
Of course, distillers being innovative sorts and consumers being rather impatient, you can occasionally get a sneak peek of what is to come. Good examples include the English Whisky Distillery early Chapters series, London Distilling Company’s unaged rye spirit, and the English Spirit Distillery’s Expedition series.
On a recent trip to the beautiful Cotswolds Distillery, we picked up a bottle of “Spirited Sherry”, described as “a delicious marriage of our own sherry-cask aged malt spirit with finest Pedro Ximenez sherry”. When the Cotswolds first whisky is released in a little over two years, it will contain some sherry-aged whisky.
The Taste
On its own
Colour: Deep, rich brown with a hint of burgundy.
Nose: Warm notes of Pedro Ximenez that don’t overwhelm and develops into nose of rich fruit cake and spice: cherry, raspberry, and raisin, all with just a hint of cola and honey.
Taste: This is a smooth and flavourful spirit with a great profile. It starts dry, with notes of dried apple and sherry-soaked wood, before it gradually, but decidedly, grows sweeter and moves onto notes of raisin and tart apple.
Finish: The spirit warms on the finish and the rich, fruity notes of Pedro Ximenez including raisin and honey come through strongly. It then becomes dry as it fades with woody notes and a hint of black pepper.
Old Fashioned
A delightful, lighter version of an Old Fashioned. The beginning is light, but lively, with notes of the Pedro Ximenez coming through, accompanied by more tropical, fruity notes, such as dried pineapple and a hint of orange. Towards the finish, the notes lighten even more (unlike some Old Fashioneds, which can turn syrupy and sickly), with echoes of the sherry and maple coming through.
Manhattan
A very summery Manhattan, with – again – a lighter mouthfeel, but still a good burst of flavour. Rich fruit comes out to start, but dry, not sweet. The vermouth then appears on the palate, with a rush of sweetness before a much drier finish of the Pedro Ximenez combined with woody vanilla notes.
In Conclusion
This is a wonderful spirit with great potential to produce traditional whisky cocktails that have a lighter texture with no reduction in flavour. The Pedro Ximenez came through in all of the drinks that we tried, but didn’t dominate, allowing for other fruit notes to appear. A delightful, well-thought-out product from the Cotswolds Distillery.
Spirited Sherry is a distillery exclusive and is available from the Cotswolds Distillery at £11.95 for 20cl or £34.95 for 70cl.
