Virginia Distillery Co. Chardonnay Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky

Ah, home sweet home. 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 12 months in a variety of different casks. This particular release is finished in ex-Chardonnay wine casks from 4 Virginia wineries. It’s a beautiful, straw gold in color and produces fast running, undefined legs and heavy drops in the copita glass I’m using for this tasting. It’s bottled at a robust 46% ABV and this bottle is available state-wide and also in quite a few neighboring states for $65. That’s quite an expensive buy-in for a youthful spirit, but we are talking about craft distilling here, so elevated prices are usually the norm rather than the exception. Is it worth it? Let’s see... The nose blasts forward with sharp and biting oak if you go in right after the pour. There’s a light, minty note as well. If you let it settle and relax, which you should, you’re rewarded with honeysuckle and pears galore. Richer fruit like cantaloupe and melon, along with fresh cut apples, also show up after awhile. The presence of the alcohol also checks in and definitely breaks up the party a little too soon IMO. The palate arrives with orchard fruits and quite a bit of bite and warmth. Cinnamon candy sweetness and oak dominate the front side of this whisky. It’s only after the heat subsides can you pick up on some subtleties, like vanilla, grapes and some floral properties. The hot and youthful spirit is very dry, like most Chardonnay’s I suppose, and it doesn’t lead to much of a finish. Speaking of finish, this is finally where the Chardonnay casks make an appearance- the white wine aspect comes into play with a lightness and dry character that invites you to go back for more. There’s a crisp-ness that you don’t usually associate with whisky, especially most Highland whiskies. That must be the wine cask asserting itself. It’s short to medium in length, crisp and dry, but mostly enjoyable. Overall, it’s tough to find a lot of depth here. I’m not sold that this Virginia/Highland blend is the right base for a Chardonnay wine finish. This whisky benefits from a juicer style cask treatment, like the award winning Port finished version. It’s definitely a stretch asking drinkers to pay $65 for this, even though the craft spirit industry pretty much demands it. I think if I was left having to pick a bottle from the VDC’s Commonwealth Collection- this wouldn’t be it. 3.5 stars with a slight reduction to 3.25 due to price point. Cheers, my friends.

VA Distillery Co Chardonnay Cask Finished-Batch 3 NOSE: Leather, Oak, Apple/Pear, Raisin, Light Vanilla, Fresh Cream, Floral, and Lemon Zest. There is a hint of that Dry White Wine sourness right at the end. I really like it. NEAT: The Chardonnay influence is front and center. The first sip almost tastes wine infused. Has an almost carbonated effervescent quality. A good bit of heat/spice blooms on the tongue almost immediately. It's fairly oily and coating. Malty Sweetness, Tart White Muscadine Grapes, Oak, Light Vanilla, Spicy Ginger all come through once the burst of heat recedes. That illusion of carbonation continues on the finish. It's almost like you took a pull out of a bottle of spicy craft ginger ale. That tingly, spicy, slightly sour taste coats the palate and clings like glue. SPLASH: Vanilla immediately becomes prominent on the nose. Delays and reduces the intensity of the initial burst of spice and heat. That effervescent quality is reduced, but still very much in charge. Now more like Mineral Water than Ginger Ale. The Oak is a little sweeter. VERDICT: I'm not sure how I feel about this one? My feelings changed from sip to sip. It's definitely different. The year spent in Chardonnay Casks definitely had more effect on it than I thought it would. The nose is phenomenal. I think where I struggle with this one is I really love whiskey. I really love red wine. White wine? Never been a fan. It is a unique experience and I definitely will enjoy it when I'm in the mood for something different. In my 3 pack sampler, this is definitely in third place well behind the Cider and Port Finished versions.

Tried this at the whisky extravaganza. This tastes a lot like spicy green fruits. The chardonnay and cider casks are nice barbecue outside drams but the port cask is the best of the bunch and signature of Virginia for a reason.

Had this a couple times. Better the 2nd taste. A little sweet. But I prefer red wine finishes with whisky.

It smells like young oak and white wine. There is malty sweetness and a rough woody finish.