The Cotswolds Peated Cask is a small-batch expression that takes the distillery's signature unpeated single malt and gives it a finishing turn in heavily peated quarter casks — barrels that previously held a peated whisky and lend their smoky character to the maturing spirit.
Bottled at full cask strength of 59.1% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour, it sits firmly in the modern English tradition of muscular, honest releases that show off the spirit rather than hide it. The base whisky is the same long-fermented, locally malted barley distillate that built Cotswolds' reputation, and it carries the smoke beautifully — the honey and orchard fruit are still there, just framed now by a slow curl of bonfire.
The smaller surface-area-to-volume ratio of the quarter casks accelerates the wood interaction, and the result is a whisky that drinks with surprising poise for its strength. A few drops of water bloom the nose into something almost coastal, and on the palate the peat moves from suggestion to centre stage without ever becoming aggressive.
It is a fascinating release for two reasons. First, because it proves that English whisky has moved well beyond the cautious early experiments of the 2010s into genuinely confident territory. And second, because it shows what the Cotswolds spirit can do when pushed — rich, layered and quietly memorable. A bottle for anyone who likes their malts honeyed but with a wisp of woodsmoke trailing behind.
