Virginia Distillery’s Bourbon, Sherry, and Cuvee Component Single Malts.
Virginia Distillery Company released their flagship American Single Malt whisky, named ‘Courage and Conviction’ in 2020. This whisky is a blend of three different maturation barrel types, 50% ex-Bourbon, 25% ex-Sherry and 25% ex-Cuvee wine barrels. (Cuvee, as used here, is a term applied to a winery’s premium blend of red wines from their own red grape varietals. Their ‘crème de la crème’ so to speak).
Take a look back in this blog for a review of ‘Courage and Conviction’ from around that date.
As a leader in this new whiskey category the Virginia Distillers ‘Courage and Conviction’ product has gained a lot of attention. Around 2022, they also released bottlings from each of the individual barrel types that make up the blend. The ABV is 46% on all versions.
Having the ‘flagship’ on the shelf I have now also managed to get my hands on samples of all three components, so I thought I would do a comparative tasting.
Ex-Bourbon Barrel: The lightest color of the three as you might expect. The nose is very delicate, clean with a faint aroma of toasted grains. The taste profile is crisp, yet delightfully clear of any phenols often associated with younger bourbon cask single malts. Some melon, vanilla and a touch of caramel come through together with the faintest hints of apple peel. Smooth and reserved on the tongue. Overall it is subtle and sophisticated. Verdict: Right in my wheelhouse.
Ex-Sherry Barrel: Significantly darker in color. Not surprisingly, the nose is richer. Berry and orchard fruit notes but faintly musty. There is also a vague ‘cooked green veggies’ overlay. The taste profile is dominated by a ‘dry sherry’ flavor, balanced by some berry sweetness. However, an astringent ‘viney’ note emerges. It reminds me a lot of a cheap MacCallan. Verdict: Sorry, some may like it, but I am not a fan.
Ex-Cuvee Barrel: Slightly darker still than the Sherry version. A very pleasant red wine aroma. On the palette this version has more body and viscosity than the other two, leading to an excellent mouth coating feel. Dark berries and a touch of spice. Some hints of wood sugars. Distinct natural sweetness and smoother than the sherry version. A very drinkable whisky. Verdict: Makes a great dessert whisky.
The Flagship Blend: The subtle nature of the bourbon cask component is easy to overwhelm on blending and I think that has happened to a small extent with the ‘flagship’ 50/25/25 blend. It is however, not a bad balance. After playing around with blending these whiskies, I would personally favor leaving out the Sherry component altogether and blending a 2/3 bourbon and 1/3 cuvee whisky. This preserves the subtle bourbon profile at its core but adds a very compatible, restrained overlay of smooth, red wine richness for greater complexity. Ideally leave the blend in a 'marrying vat' for a month or two before bottling.
Latest and greatest: More recently Virginia Distillery has added premium 5 yr old single barrel, uncut versions of these component whiskies to their range. I suspect that these would be very interesting to try if you want to shell out around $150/bottle.
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