Review #720 - Virginia Distillery 'Courage & Conviction' Ex-Bourbon Single Cask - Scotch 4 Dummies Pick

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

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.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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