Virginia Distillery Co. 7 Year Port Cask Single Barrel

Nobody added water to this one. Most whisky is cut with water before bottling to bring it down to 80 or 90 proof. This bottle skipped that step. It came out of barrel No. 10206 at 119.4 proof and went into the bottle at that strength, which is what "cask strength" means. Virginia Distillery Co. sits in Lovingston, in Nelson County, at the foot of the Blue Ridge. Dr. George Moore founded it in 2011 to make single malt in America, and his wife Angela and son Gareth run it now. It makes American single malt: whisky from 100% malted barley, distilled in two copper pot stills built in Scotland. Malted barley is barley that's been sprouted and dried so its starch turns into sugar the yeast can ferment. This one spent seven years aging, and the label says it finished in port casks, barrels that once held the sweet fortified wine from Portugal. It's a single barrel, so every bottle in this run came from the same cask. At 119.4 proof, taste it neat first, then add a few drops of water and taste again. Virginia Distillery doesn't publish notes for its single barrels, so the notes below are from Top Shelf Wine & Spirits, which sells this same barrel. Tasting Notes Nose: ripe berries, warm oak, dark honey, a touch of cocoa Palate: red fruit, caramelized malt, vanilla cream, subtle spice Finish: red berries, milk chocolate, gentle baking spice Bottle Specifications Category: American single malt whisky Age: 7 years Finish: Port casks Barrel: Single barrel No. 10206 Proof / ABV: 119.4 proof / 59.7% (cask strength) Distillery: Virginia Distillery Co., Lovingston, Virginia Bottle size: 750ml FAQ What is American single malt? Whisky made from 100% malted barley at one distillery in the US. The federal government made it an official category in January 2025, with rules close to Scotch single malt's. What does "single barrel" mean? Every bottle came from one barrel, here No. 10206, instead of a blend of many. The next barrel tastes a little different. Why is it so strong? It's bottled at cask strength, the proof it had in the barrel, with no water added. A few drops of water in the glass opens it up. Good in a Manhattan and a hot toddy.