I can only imagine what it’s like to launch a new product in 2020. It hasn’t exactly been a year for clinking glasses and celebrating achievements.
And how much more disappointing must it be when your product has been years in the making?
Such is the case for Virginia Distillery Company, which released the first batch of its long-awaited single malt whisky this past April. VDC’s whisky has been aging for nearly four years, but the company was founded back in 2011, meaning this journey began nearly a decade ago. Releasing their flagship product in a year marked by a pandemic, social unrest, and political strife probably wasn’t part of the original plan.
But if there’s ever a time for an American whisky called Courage & Conviction, this is it. The single-malt whisky is named for the distillery’s founder, the late Dr. George G. Moore, who was known for encouraging people to “have the courage of your convictions.” It may be a well-worn credo among the Moore family, but it’s a sentiment that resonates broadly in times like these.
About the Whisky
Courage & Conviction is made with American malted barley and water from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s distilled in copper pot stills made in Scotland and aged for at least three years in three types of barrels – bourbon (50%), sherry (25%), and cuvée (25%).
Appearance
Golden, straw.
Nose
I get autumnal fruits, like apple and pear, along with honey, caramel, and cocoa.
Palate
Vanilla, apricot, caramel, and butterscotch are prominent. Notes of fig, raisin, and cinnamon gradually become apparent. I detect a faint bit of heat in the middle, but a drop of water cools it down and brings out some fruity and floral notes.
Finish
A smooth, medium-long finish with pleasant notes of oak and spice.
The Verdict
Courage & Conviction is a delightful, well-balanced whisky. It’s light and crisp in the early going, but its flavors have a way of unfolding, revealing a complexity that isn’t apparent in the first few sips.
Last year, VDC released Prelude, a limited-edition early bottling of the Courage & Conviction. As I wrote back then, the Prelude was an achievement unto itself, despite being considered an unfinished product.
I dug out my bottle of Prelude and did a side-by-side tasting with the new release. That early version seemed to have a more prominent bourbon influence, which I miss; it brought a rich but subtle foundation of sweetness. But that’s a minor quibble. The final product shows what a little more aging can do, and the result is a whisky that’s balanced, drinkable, and more complex.
And well worth the wait.
Note: I received a complimentary bottle of Courage & Conviction for the purpose of writing a product review. No one from or associated with Virginia Distillery Company influenced this content, nor was I compensated for writing it.
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