Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction Cuvée Cask

Nose - cranberry, raspberry, caramel, vanilla, orange zest, lemon, cinnamon, cocoa, yeast, grass, black pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, raspberry, vanilla, lemon and orange zest, cocoa, clove, red wine, nutmeg, plum, sour apple, grass, burnt toast, black pepper, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with raspberry, citrus zest, and cocoa flavors. This is day two of my three part Courage and Conviction & Conviction cask series. The Cuvée cask release starts with a nose that’s obviously influenced by red wine. It’s jammy raspberry and cranberry, with a double dose of grassy, citrusy freshness. The palate affirms the red wine influence with some strongly salted caramel and a borderline burnt toast, cocoa note that carries through the finish. This is not quite at the level of the flagship Courage & Conviction release, but it’s better than the Bourbon cask for me. This is still a 3.0 on my scale, but it’s certainly a stronger contender than its counterpart. The improvement I see is the presence of darker notes to balance the sour brightness of the Bourbon cask offering. While still bright and green, it’s more well balanced, with the red wine adding some much needed depth to the experience. It’s not worth the price of a bottle, but snag a miniature for $3 if you enjoy wine influences.

Really nice! The cask aging gives layers of complexity to the whiskey that reveal themselves as you sip. This was an easy pour; mellow and smooth.

Sweet dark wine in the aroma. This tastes a lot like the sherry call, but with more alcohol burn. Dry finish.

Aroma is complex, I'm getting plum and the wine cask. It's wonderful. Flavor is on the lighter side, but has complexity to match the aroma. Orange flavors in the middle, long spicy tail. Rich flavor, great balance of flavors. I can tell I'm missing a ton.

Red fruit and caramel nose. A quick flash of spice and mild finish