NEW BOTTLE HIGHLIGHT SERIES: Virginia Cigar Blend Single Malt Whisky

The Virginia Distillery Company’s American single malt whiskies convinced me to jump fully in to exploring whiskies. I was very excited when they announced they were producing their first “cigar blend” single malt whisky, the “First Cut.”

Made from 100% malted barley and distilled, aged, and blended entirely in Virginia, it is a blend of 7-9-year-old whiskies primarily aged in armagnac, cognac, Fino sherry, & STR (shave, toast, re-char) wine casks before being finished in port wine & Château Palmer cabernet wine casks and a small part of the blend being finished in peated Islay scotch casks.

Dark amber/copper in the glass, the whisky’s aroma profile starts off with a mix of candied and fresh red/dark berries and raisins, a very distinct but balanced peat smoke, lemon peel, caramelized-to-almost-burnt sugar, dark honey, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla custard, malted chocolate, oak, and old leather.

All of the notes from the nose appear on the palate with balanced peat smoke and an earthiness I associate with peated scotches lasting throughout the sip. Dark fruit and caramelized sugar sweetness, leather, dark chocolate, lemon peel, roasted nuts drizzled in honey, and a finish of mild anise and oak tannin bitterness all make an appearance. These flavors go well together but do not quite exist in perfect harmony, instead appearing in stages throughout the sip as I roll the whisky back and forth across my palate. The mouthfeel is medium-long on the palate mirroring the viscosity in the glass with a long finish of 9-13 seconds.

I look forward to seeing how the bottle evolves now that it’s been opened.