Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction Single Malt

Whenever I’m thinking of buying a whisky, I start with the question, what else is available at this price? Generally, if I haven’t had the best whisky available at that price point, I’ll go with that, and if I’ve had it and loved it, I’ll buy it again. But much like any sports draft, I may start with thinking I’m going to take the best player, but I also could consider drafting to fill a need. Case in point, this bottle, Virginia Distillery Co. Courage and Conviction Single Malt (Harry Cockburn batch): I’d read good things about how surprisingly good it was at both Drinkhacker and Breaking Bourbon. Enough to rouse my interest. However, it was going for $74.99. For less than that, I could get Ardbeg and Laphroaig and Talisker 10, I could get Nikka from the Barrell. Those all fit the description of whiskies below this price point that I’ve before and loved, so in the end, I couldn’t justify dropping the SRP on this bottle, much as I’m assuming Virginia Distillery Co. is the little guy, and I kind of like supporting the little guy (particularly Dad’s Hat and Sagamore). But of course, you keep an eye out for deals, and this went on clearance sale for $18.49 in the Wine and Spirits. At that point, I considered buying more than one, but my whisky budget had been reached and alas, I didn’t wish to gamble on multiple bottles when I might end up not liking it at all. Now I wish I had. This is not a complex whisky. The reviews I’d read made it sound like it was, and perhaps those reviews were for other batches (actually, I believe they were). But the complexity here would likely only be important to me if I had paid $74.99. At which point, I would have lamented that I didn’t pick up another Nikka from the Barrel (currently going for $1 less at $73.99). But at $18.49 this was a steal. I mentioned in my previous review on Jack Daniels Triple Mash that complexity isn’t everything as long as the flavors that are there blend together well and offer an enjoyable sip. While it wasn’t the case that I got that with the JD, it is the case here. The nose and palate are both pretty much the same, offering a creamsicle vibe that gives you vanilla cream and orange marmalade mixed together rather strongly. The fruit aromas are strong here with maybe a bit of peach mixed in, but overall, its citric, tangy. Honestly, it’s the kind of bottle that could give your Glenmorangie 10 a run for its money if it wasn’t about $30 more expensive than Glenmorangie, and this at just four years in the bottle. And that’s it, vanilla cream and orange marmalade. That’s what you get, but damned if, at $18.49 I’m not enjoying the hell out of it. It's not going to blow your mind, but it could lay waste to it fairly easily given how easily it goes down. So my advice is that, if you see it on sale, pick it up. Tops I’d go would be, say, $49.99. Then again, give the explosion we’ve seen in prices recently, this might, in the long run, end up being a deal at SRP at some point in the future. As of now, it isn’t going to appear on anyone’s best value list. But you might want to draft it to fill a need if you have the disposable income lying around.

Fruity nose with some caramel. Caramel and malt on the palate.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Very light amber. Nose: Floral with grapes and pears. Palate: More pears and apples Finish: Short, sweet, with a tiny bit of spice. Splash: Opens up a bit of oak. Overall: 5/10 - definitely different (mashbill is 100% barley) but not similar to Irish Whiskey or Scotch. Probably won't drink again.

It’s like an Irish whiskey. Buttery bread with honey.

Nice clean easy sipper