Virginia Distillery Company Adds 3 New American Single Malts

Virginia Distillery Company is one of the more specialized players in the developing American single malt market, having as its core expression Courage & Conviction. Now it is expanding upon this, adding individual bottlings of the core trio of casks – bourbon, sherry and cuvée – that make up the flagship offering.

The three new whiskeys in the distillery’s American single malt line up, according to those behind it, are, like the flagship whiskey, distilled on-site using 100% North American malted barley and mountain spring-fed water, followed by aging a minimum of three years. They are as follows:

• Courage & Conviction Bourbon Cask is aged in former Bourbon casks sourced from Kentucky, which adds notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and toffee to the whisky. The finish is creamy and exceptionally smooth.
• Courage & Conviction Sherry Cask uses three different Sherry casks, Fino, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, which gives the whisky notes of cherry, fig, golden raisin and caramelized plum.
• Courage & Conviction Cuvée Cask is aged in an innovative “STR” cask sourced from premium European red wine products. The cask is shaved, re-toasted and re-charred, energizing the wood sugars. This brings forward notes of raspberry, cherry, brown sugar, cocoa and baking spice.

“These individual bottlings are a great way for us to highlight the casks that are foundational to the Courage & Conviction line,” said Virginia Distillery Company CEO Gareth H. Moore in a prepared statement. “One example is that we are one of only a handful of distilleries in the world to use these unique Cuvée casks, a profile developed by the late Dr. Jim Swan.”

The first batch of these three new whiskeys are dedicated to Nancy Fraley, a master blender and consultant who works with distilleries worldwide on maturation programs and sensory analysis. Fraley is one of Virginia Distillery Company’s key mentors.

“Nancy is a great friend and mentor to our team at Virginia Distillery Company,” added Moore. “We are thankful for her guiding nose and so happy we can recognize her by dedicating the inaugural batch of these three new expressions to her.”

Plans call for these expressions to initially be available in Virginia, followed by roll out to retailers across multiple states in the following weeks and months. They will also be available online where possible for nationwide direct shipping. Each expression is available in a 750ml, retailing for around $85 per bottle with a 46% ABV.