New Single Malt From England's Cotswolds Aged In French Aperitif Casks New Single Malt From England’s Cotswolds Aged In French Aperitif Casks As a special celebration of St George’s Day, Cotswolds Distillery recently launched its newest Heart and Crafts expression, an English single malt whisky aged in Pineau de Charentes casks. Pineau de Charentes is a regional liquor, an aperitif, of the Charentes Maritime region of France, residing north of Bordeaux and encompassing the Cognac-producing region. The Pineau is made from fresh grape juice, which is blended with Cognac and left to age in oak barrels for a number of years. The sweetness of the grape juice tempers the bite of the Cognac, which combined with what’s said to be dry nutty notes from European oak casks makes the Pineau a popular regional aperitif.