Virginia Distillery Co. adds three whiskies to signature line.
It’s been about a year since Virginia Distillery Company first rolled out the first batch of Courage & Conviction, their signature 92-proof American Single Malt whisky, making the vision of their founder, Dr. George G. Moore, a reality. Made with 100 percent malted barley, and offering a palate of honey, toasted grain, dried apricot, honey, banana bread, vanilla, and touches of oak and spice, this whiskey has since won numerous awards.
This spring, the Lovingston spirits maker has added three new whiskies to the line, featuring individual bottlings of the core trio of casks—bourbon, sherry, and cuvée. I tried all three over these past few weeks, and I must say I’m impressed with both the presentation and the well balanced flavors.
Photos by Markus Schmidt.
First there’s the packaging, which immediately catches your attention. Each bottle comes adorned with what the maker calls a “collectible, removable medallion, representing our founder’s credo, as a reminder to always have the courage of your convictions.” My only regret is that I didn’t know this before I disposed of the (empty) bottles.
The Sherry Cask whisky uses three different casks—Fino, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez, giving it notes of cherry, fig, golden raisin, and caramelized plum. The Cuvée Cask is aged in an STR cask (I admit I had to look that up—it’s a new acronym in whisky maturation referring to “Shaved, Toasted, and Re-charred” red wine casks) from European red wine products. “The cask is shaved, re-toasted, and re-charred, energizing the wood sugars,” says Gareth H. Moore, CEO of Virginia Distillery Co., bringing forward notes of raspberry, cherry, brown sugar, cocoa, and baking spice.
As a bourbon aficionado, my favorite was the Bourbon Cask. As the name suggests, it was aged in former bourbon casks from Kentucky, which adds notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and toffee to the whisky. I agree with the maker that the finish is creamy and exceptionally smooth.
These newest whiskies in Virginia Distillery Co.’s Courage & Conviction line are a welcome addition to the Commonwealth’s growing spirits landscape. Each bottle retails at $84.99. VADistillery.com
