Cotswolds Founder's Choice Single Malt (70cl, 59.1%)

Founder's Choice is a cask strength English single malt from the Cotswolds Distillery, bottled at 59.1% in a 70cl bottle. It belongs to the Cask Expressions Collection, and this edition runs to 2,500 bottles. The whisky matured entirely in ex-red wine barriques of American oak, the favourite casks of founder Dan Szor. They were prepared with the STR method developed by Dr Jim Swan: shaving, toasting and re-charring. The barley is grown in the Cotswolds and malted on traditional floors. It is non-chill-filtered and of natural colour. The nose offers dry hay, fresh-cut wood and dark chocolate, with dried figs and plums in syrup. On the palate come warming grain, toasted bread, red fruit and butterscotch. The finish brings oak spice, sweet dried fruit and a dry, nutty note.