Virginia Distillery Co. Cider Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky

Ah, home grown whisky. There’s nothing like a locally produced spirit. Virginia Distillery Company is located in the mountainous region of Virginia, Nelson County to be exact, and they’ve quickly ramped up production on their own interpretation of Scottish single malt style whisky. They love Scottish whisky so much that they’ve blended it into their initial releases until their own whisky has matured enough to be released on its own. They take small amounts of Virginia malt mash, blend it with an undisclosed Highland distillery single malt and then finish it for around 8-12 months in a variety of different casks. This particular release is finished in ex-Cider casks from 2 Virginia cidery : Potter’s in Charlottesville and Buskey in Richmond. This release from the Commonwealth Collection is straw yellow in color and makes fast running legs in the taster. It’s watery and leaves behind huge droplets, as well. The nose is primarily orchard fruits and oak. Toffee and vanilla creme candies provide the sweetness, but the caramel comes across as extra sugary and over-manufactured (if that makes sense). The palate is youthful, but creamy as can be. Highland sherry scotch and caramel-dipped apples really shine here and make an oily, warm and mouthwatering dram. It’s right there on the border of being too dessert sweet, but there’s enough heat and alcohol presence to keep it from crossing that line. The finish is medium length, creamy and warm with a pleasant malty aspect that lingers. You can still taste apples and caramel for some time. This release will continue to have successive batches, unlike the others in the Commonwealth Series (IIRC), released every fall- perfect timing and a great way to watch the leaves turn here in Virginia’s Shenandoah Mountains. This is probably my favorite from VDC to this point, although the price is currently too high- $65. There’s currently also a lawsuit between VDC and the Scottish Whisky Association over their use of the Highland nameplate, so I’m wondering if this whole series could just come to an end, especially if their own juice is starting to reach bottling ages and quality. This is a 4-4.25 star dram and if you like cider and wish it had a heavier kick- this could be your jam. Cheers.

VA Distilling Co. Cider Cask Finished (Mine is Batch 4 but my notes were similar enough to previous tastings that a new entry wasn't warranted ). Pours into my Glencairn a pale straw in color. Think Apple Juice or Lipton bottled Green Tea. Nose: The Cider greets you on the cork pop as the scent of Apple hits you square in the face. In the glass you get Granny Smith Apple, Malt, Cream, Buttery Biscuits, Tea, a wisp of smoke, and a hint of Sourness. The more it sits the more complex it gets. I really like this nose. Neat: Despite the lack of wood on the nose, it is the first note I get on the palate. Apples, Beeswax, Barrel Wood, Ginger, and some smoke as well. It also has a nice Peppery Tingle throughout. There is a Mild Bitterness hanging out, but it never becomes dominant or offensive. It leaves with a slightly Warming finish that coats with with sweet'ish Vanilla and Oak. The Apple is definitely there, but to me it's not much more than I get from a fruit forward Highland Single Malt. Splash: Sweetened the finish a good bit by removing the bitterness that had been lurking. Verdict: Pleasantly surprised by this one. I was hoping for something in the 3'ish range, but I got a solid 4. I had been reluctant to try this at $65 per bottle, but I found a gift pack that has 3 half-size bottles (Cider, Chardonnay, and Port) for only $30. A great deal. A combination of American and Scottish Malt blended and given a secondary aging sounds like something that would be hard to pull off, but VA Distillery has managed to do it. Cheers!

Nose: red apple, cereal grains, touch of lemon, light oak Palate: more malty grains, some orange Finish: vanilla, mint, light smoke, sweet apple Not the most complex whiskey ever, but it does have a unique taste as the nose really features the cider cask aroma, the palate reveals the youth of the whiskey grains, and the finish reveals the gentle peating from the mixing with scotch. Value: B+, is this the best whiskey ever? No. A great whiskey? No. But for $40 I think it’s a steal.

I didn’t car for the nose much at all. It brought to mind the manicure salons in shopping malls, very strong chemical smell. Taste is better, lots of fruit, specifically tart apple peels, but its well hidden behind a very astringent, burnt toast flavor that is an aquired taste. I cant decide if it spent too long in the barrel or not long enough. Very different than most of the whiskey on the shelf and thats a refreshing change!

Nose: Delightful sweet notes, ripe pitted fruits, gentle smokiness, honey, extremely slight burn. Nose after swirl: Cider cider cider! Fruity sweetness gives way to a much stronger smoke note. Palate: Medium mouthfeel, juicy! Obvious cider undertones, much smokier on the tongue, toasty cocoa, dried stone fruit, gentle maltiness. Finish: slightly dry, fruity sweetness gives way to long-finishing smoky malt.

Nose is a little musty and definitely gives off the cider notes. Taste is smooth on this one with some bright sweet notes on the tongue. The cider finish has a softening impact on the whiskey in a rather delightful way. Vanilla and golden apple notes pop out. The finish is a nice warming burn like a hot toddy on a crisp fall evening. Overall a different, but very nice dram.