Covid absolutely sucked, but if there’s one good thing that came out of it… Zoom tastings! Don’t get me wrong, in my work life I’ve had enough Zoom calls to last a lifetime. However, when whiskey is involved, it’s amazing to hear about a distillery from the comforts of your couch. No drinking and driving worries, no lines at the bathroom and sweatpants!  

Last Wednesday I attended a virtual tasting of the Virginia Distillery CO’s., Courage and Conviction Line hosted by Julio’s Liquors and Virginia Distillery Co., Education Manager, Amanda Beckwith.

Julio’s tasting kit included three 50ml bottles from their Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whisky line; Bourbon Cask, Sherry Cask and Cuvée Cask. They also included a 750ml Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky which, I have written about before. All this for $50, which in my opinion is a bargain.

The whiskies are matured a minimum of three years and are made with 100% barley. The casks used to mature the whisky are, ex-bourbon, sherry and Cuvée Cask’s while, their Conviction American Single Malt Whisky uses all three casks with a recipe of 50% bourbon cask, 25% sherry and 25% Cuvée.

Now I’ll start talking about the whiskies in the order we drank them. 

Courage and Conviction American Single Malt Whisky Bourbon Cask

Nose: caramel, banana, and butterscotch

Palate: vanilla, apples, cinnamon, and caramel

Finish: light, creamy and hints of spices

MSRP: $75

Our of all the four whiskies we stated this was the lightest. It was crisp, light and almost summery like. 

Courage and Conviction American Single Malt Whisky Sherry Cask 

Nose: dark cherry, fig, and sherry

Palate: spices, almonds, raisins, and cherries

Finish: creamy with ending spiced notes

MSRP: $75-$85

Courage and Conviction American Single Malt Whisky Cuvée Cask

Nose: red cherry, chocolate, and raspberry

Palate: spices, cocoa, oak, and brown sugar

Finish: smooth, spices and cherries 

MSRP: $75

Courage and Conviction American Single Malt Whisky

Nose: caramel and vanilla

Palate: spices, fruit, vanilla, and cocoa

Finish: smooth with ending notes of spices

MSRP: $75-$85

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with these whiskies. I didn’t go into it thinking they weren’t going to be great, but they were better than expected. All these whiskies are creamy, smooth, and full of flavor. At the end of the tasting there were two whiskies that were my instant favorite, the Cuvée Cask and their American Single Malt Whisky. If I had to pick one favorite, it would have to be the Cuvée Cask. It’s smooth, filled of spices and it was beautifully made. If I were to buy a full bottle, it would a bottle of this.

These whiskies aren’t meant to be limited edition as they are looking to keep them in their line year-round, so you’ll have time to try them if you wanted. It’s also my understanding that Julio’s is going be offering a Virginia Distillery Co., blending kit for Father’s Day so if this is something you’re interested in keep an eye out for it on their website, here. 

Cheers

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.