Decided to dip into my box of samples tonight and came up with a curious one indeed. Sent to me by the ever so generous @LeeEvolved from his home state, Virginia Distilling Co. is producing American single malts, but this is not a single malt. Brewer’s Batch (batch 001) is a blend of their own single malt and a single malt sourced from an undisclosed Highland distillery in Scotland. Bottled at 46% ABV, natural color of a pale straw and its unknown if there is chill filtering, but I suspect there is some. This was finished in casks that held a Wee-Heavy ale from a local brewery. Those casks were first used to age the distillery’s whisky. A bit of a circle there. The nose is vibrant and fruity, intensely fruity even. Raisins and grapes, a definite sherry cask profile from the Highland scotch. Apricots, oranges, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee. Beautiful oaky notes, rich but not too sweet. The ale influence is quite minimal, but it is detectable in the form of an herbal/citrus hop aroma, which is mostly covered up by the sherry. Lemon and grapefruit, faint cocoa powder and barrel char. After a little more time in the glass the sherry really diminishes and the ale cask becomes more dominant. This brings a sourdough and slight mineral note. More time is not a friend to this whisky. The palate is a bit rough on the arrival, showing it’s youth. Green oak, a touch sour. Grape skins, light raisins, bright citrusy notes most likely from the ale cask finish. The sherry is well integrated with some sweetness and fruits. Oak tannins, light ginger, barrel char. Like the nose, time in the glass is not good for this whisky. Oxidization seems to really kill the sherry and brings on the youthful roughness. More time in the cask is needed. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is slightly oily, tongue coating and mouthwatering. The finish is medium long, a bit sour, light sherry and citrus, dry. This whisky was pretty darn good out of the gate, but struggled to cross the finish line in one piece. I don’t think an open bottle would hold up well to long periods of oxidization. At $65 this pretty pricy for what you get, but those scotch casks can’t be too cheap. I think this is a good starting point and subsequent batches should show improvement. 3.5 Cheers