Single Cask Nation, Virginia Distillery Co. Single Malt, Aged 5 Years, Cask #666

Finally killed the bottle of my favorite whiskey release of 2022. I remember this being one I was ready to dislike: the color was all off (like cherry coke) and it was an unknown (to me) distillery, but I was instantly won over by the intense sherry finish and the underlying malt’s ability to make itself heard over the trail mix cacophony. Believing in SCNs ability to make great picks and being a booster for American single malts really paid off this time. I’m now a big VA distilling fan and love the Courage and Conviction single malt even if it doesn’t quite capture this lightning in a bottle moment yet.