Nose - raisin, plum, red fruit, caramel, orange zest, banana, vanilla, peanut, cocoa, high ethanol burn. Taste - Hawaiian Punch, raspberry and other juicy red fruit, nut and raisin (from the sherry cask, but it’s not overpowering like some can be), black pepper, spicy barrel notes, cocoa, banana, vanilla, peanut, moderate to high bright alcohol bite, finishing quickly with fading fruity nuttiness, chocolate, and barrel spice. For some reason, I wanted to dislike this one, but I don’t. It’s not amazing, but a solid first release for the Virginia Distillery Co. You can tell it’s a young expression, due to the bright, spicy alcohol bite. It’s very sweet (which I don’t particularly like), but it’s not cloying or off-putting. The nose is fairly flat and obscured by the ethanol fumes, but the flavor profile is complex and unique. Looking forward to the distillery’s next release.