Virginia Distillery Co. is based near Lovingston, Virginia, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This distillery makes American single malt whisky using two pot stills in the Scottish fashion; after distillation, maturation occurs in a variety of different cask types, such as Port, cider, red wine, beer casks, and more.
The bottle we have today is the stripped back version, though - just plain ex-bourbon casks, a decision made to show off the true character of the Virginia Distillery Co. distillate. This is a single cask selected by US-based YouTubers 'Scotch 4 Dummies' in 2025; it's bottled at cask strength, which is a hefty 60.7% ABV (121.4 proof).
Virginia Distillery 'Courage & Conviction' Ex-Bourbon Single Cask - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick
USA - Single Malt
Price: USD 60 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 60.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon cask
Details: Cask #6333, bottled 2025
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 6 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Rich and sweet, with a bit of cereal grain and powdered sugar; then it's a blast of fruit scents. We found yellow apple, strawberry bubblegum, pears, peach ring candies, apple pie, and cherry pie across our tasting sessions; there's also some vanilla and a subtle white wine note. Tinned fruit like pineapple comes later.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thick; it's a bit hot, and while there is a dry oak note, it's soon all about fruits again: nectarine, peach, tangerine, quite tropical. Oranges, apples, and pears bring an orchard fruit side; it's quite sweet, almost syrupy at times. Cinnamon and bubblegum are accents.
Finish: Creamy vanilla and malt, freshly baked pastries, and some honey bring a baking side. It's still juicy and sweet with fruit notes like apple, pineapple, peach, and creamy guava; the finish is medium-long.
Final Note: When we first opened this bottle, it was quite hot, but more air time has improved it a lot. This is seriously an explosion of fruity flavors; there is a bit of a malty note at times, as well as a very soft oak influence, but for the most part we found a nice combination of tropical fruit, orchard fruits, and citrus. We also enjoyed the baking flavors in the finish; this is a classic ex-bourbon single malt, one of the best-made examples in this style that we've tasted so far from the States.
Value here is great - this was available for a very reasonable $60 upon release, and most of Virginia Distillery Co.'s bottles seem to be fairly priced. For this level of fruity flavor at cask strength, a single cask like this is a definite 'buy.'
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.66
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other recent American single malt reviews:
Review #668 - Westland Moscatel Finish Single Cask - r/Bourbon Pick
Review #645 - Westland Solum Edition 2
Review #607 - Westward Milestone Edition No. 1
Review #603 - Old Line Single Barrel Single Malt - Quarterdeck Whiskey Club Pick
Review #583 - Stranahan's Single Barrel Cask Strength - Barrel 15-2146
