The Cotswolds Distillery has been quietly building one of England's most consistent house styles since opening in 2014, and the Sherry Cask Single Malt is the bottle that distils that ambition into one glass. Made from 100% Cotswolds-grown floor-malted barley and matured in a combination of shaved-toasted-recharred (STR) red wine casks and first-fill oloroso butts, it lands at a defiantly natural 57.4% — non-chill-filtered, no colouring.
Stourton sits at the edge of the village and feels every bit a working farmhouse distillery. That sense of place carries into the glass. The nose leads with marzipan and dried cherry, then unfurls into orange marmalade and warm gingerbread, the STR casks lending a subtly sweeter top note over the oloroso depth.
The palate is where the cask strength earns its keep — rich, oily, generous, layering stewed berries and brown sugar over cocoa nib and a peppery oak grip. There's a youthful brightness underneath, but the sherry influence keeps everything firmly anchored.
The finish is long and warming, dark fruit and toasted hazelnut fading into a final breath of clove. A drop of water softens the edges and pulls out more of the chocolate.
For the price, this remains one of the best value English single malts on shelves. It's a confident, assertive bottling that wears its influences proudly.
