Virginia Distillery Co. Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky

When most people think of Virginia and whiskey, they probably think of the Bowman family. But there are also some interesting things coming out of Virginia Distillery Co. This one happens to a port-cask aged American single malt with some Scotch blended in. Interesting concept. This happens to be from Batch No. 14. Nose: Malt, toffee, vanilla, and cereal grain. Cocoa. Sugar cookie. Apricot. Some fig, date, raisin notes from the port cask. Cranberry. Pear. Almond and cashew. Pecan. Dried Gouda cheese. Cola. Pomegranate. Oak. Palate: Apple, pear, orange citrus. Vanilla, toffee, malt. There’s a peppermint Icebreaker or maybe a Mentos note. Sugar cookie. Caramel. Pecan. Coffee. Honeydew. Blackberry, plum, raisin, date, and fig. Cranberry to boot. Finish: Cranberry, fig, date, and raisin. Pear, apricot, orange citrus. Sugar cookie, vanilla, toffee, malt. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Black pepper and oak spice. Medium-length. Fantastic. A true diamond in the rough if I’ve ever had one. It’s unique, as expected of an American-Scottish single malt hybrid. But more importantly, it’s a clean, crisp, and powerful combination of the distinct attributes of both nations’ best work. At $47, this boasts some of the best VFM you’re going to find in the whiskey category. If you’re feeling the squeeze from the tariffs and price hikes on your Scotch, this is by far the “Scotchiest” American single malt, and it’s much cheaper for us than anything comparable from across the pond. 4.5/5. A unique whiskey in so many ways. An American/Scotch malt hybrid aged in port barrels. It works, no question about it. Looks like I’ve got to track down the chard and cider casks next, and then move on to their fully in-house stuff. Excellent.

Nose - apple, lemon zest, caramel, strawberry, vanilla, fig, floral notes, raisin, cinnamon, allspice, cereal grain, black pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, strawberry, green apple, vanilla, chili pepper, fig, plum, lemon zest, cereal grain, cinnamon, clove, moderate alcohol bite, finishing fast with caramel, strawberry, and chili pepper flavors. I bought a 50ml miniature of this, and am glad I didn’t buy the bottle instead. It’s not bad, but the quality isn’t at the level of Virginia Distillery Co’s Courage & Conviction release. The nose is hot for the proof and reads as very young. It takes some work to get past the ethanol, but once you do you’ll find sour apple and caramel, along with strawberry and dark fruits that hint at the port finish. Similarly, there’s nothing particularly special with the palate. More of the fruit notes are present with some baking spices, but it’s just too young and hot to be compelling. Overall, it’s forgettable. Certainly a step up from a cheap blended malt, but not by much.

VA Distilling Co. Port Cask (Batch 12) Pours into the Glencairn a dark reddish gold. Nose: Port. Dark Dried Fruits like Raisin and Prune. A Soapy/Perfumey Floral Note. Tea, Old Oak and an occasional hint of Lemon Peel. It also has a heavy "Boozy" quality if that makes sense? Neat: Heavy Mouthfeel. Barrel Notes, Port, Leather, Tea, and a wisp of Smoke. Slightly warming dry finish with Black Pepper and Earthy Oak coating the tongue. You get some accumulating heat on the back of the throat and a Slightly Tannic/Musty Leather aftertaste lingers. Splash: A little water gives the nose and palate some Extra Spice and a good dose of Vanilla. Verdict: This was the second sample out of my (3) 375ml pack. I like this one almost as much as I liked the Cider Cask Finish. Being born in the mountains of Southwest VA, I knew I'd be predisposed to liking these, but I've been surprised by how good they actually are. Hope to try the Chardonnay Finish tonight. Another 4 Star.

Not sure it's worth the $50, probably more a $40 bottle. Smells amazing, the initial flavor is sweet and warm like a butterscotch melting in your mouth. Afterwards it gets dry and the scotch/cask flavor pulls through. All in all a bit of a rollercoaster but overall mellow. I tasted it on the rocks-it got better as the ice melted it and the water opened it up. I don't have a "refined" pallette that can taste the rainbow in every bottle. My go to is bourbon. This is heavy on the scotch flavor and would be a good drink to transition from bourbon to scotch. Whisky/yes I enjoy are usually on the sweeter side. Old Forester 1910, Eagle Rare 10, Blanton's single Barrell, four roses small batch, nikka coffey grain whisky.

Nose: So fruity and luscious! Port, mulled wine, dark berries, malt, baking spices, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Palate: A bit youthful, yet slick and malty with port, mulled wine, vanilla, honey, baking spices, dark berries, chocolate, citrus and herbal notes. Finish: Medium length, warming, mildly spicy, malty, and semisweet. For me, the youthfulness is mitigated by the great Port cask notes. Edit 6/9/25 The bloom went off this bottle really quickly. It’s still OK, but the really great port cask notes have dissipated and are now pretty overwhelmed by the young American single malt sourness. Somewhat similar to what I’ve experienced with other finished American single malts. The lesson is to drink them quickly.

Nose: burnt caramel, sour apple, ethanol burn, mild amount of peat, lemon zest, strawberry, chili pepper Palate: caramel, vanilla, hint of dark drapes & fig, burnt toast, black pepper Finish: cinnamon, chili pepper, black pepper, all spice, leather, honey, after a few sips the peat comes on heavier Value: C-, This is definitely young. It drinks with a harsh nose and finish but once you get past the ethanol, a bit of caramel sweetness, lemon, and oaky char comes out. At just under $50 it’s really not on the list to buy. If this was a much more basic and cheap blend I could see it at $35 but for having a “cask finish” there isn’t anything too special here.