Virginia Distillery Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve Whiskey 750ml

Virginia Distillery Company operates in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, in the town of Lovingston, and is a founding member of the American Single Malt Commission, the industry body that helped establish standards for the emerging American single malt category. The distillery is family-owned and works exclusively with malted barley, copper pot stills, and oak casks, releasing nothing younger than four years, with Virginia's warmer, more variable climate accelerating maturation compared to traditional Scotch production.

This expression is made from whisky aged separately for a minimum of five years, split between first-fill bourbon casks and STR European red wine Cuvée casks, the latter having undergone a "shave, toast, re-char" treatment that exposes fresh wood to release additional sugars and aromatic compounds. The two components are then vatted together and allowed to marry gradually before bottling at 48% ABV, non-chill filtered.

The nose brings malt and popcorn with hay and milk chocolate, along with a subtle note of dried fig. On the palate, chocolate and black pepper meet toasted oak and a faint campfire smokiness drawn from the STR casks. The finish closes on coffee bean and a light, briny minerality reminiscent of sea spray.