This American single malt is from the family-owned Virginia Distillery Company, based in the state of Virginia. The whisky was recently named as Best American Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards 2026. It is named after Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The whiskey has been created with bourbon drinkers in mind. It is aged in first-fill bourbon casks sourced from Kentucky before a finishing period in virgin toasted oak barrels. The oak for these was sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Virginia Distillery Co. was founded by George Moore in 2011 and is located in Lovingston, Nelson County in the American state of Virginia. He had emigrated from Ireland in the 1970s and the distillery was his retirement project. Sadly, George passed away in 2013 before completion but his son, Graham Moore, decided to complete his father’s vision. Graham is now the CEO.
Production began in 2015 and the distillery only produce American single malt spirit. They follow the ‘old world’ rules of single malt – that it must be made from 100% malted barley in copper pot stills and then aged for a minimum of three years in used oak barrels. A percentage of the barley is grown locally on the Moore family farm.
They have two ranges, which have won plenty of awards in global spirits competitions. These are Virginia Distillery Co. (or VDC for short) and Courage & Conviction. VDC sees all whiskies initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, sourced from Brown-Forman in neighbouring Kentucky, before a finishing period in other cask types. Courage & Conviction sees full maturation in single cask types.
The Virginia Distillery Co. Blue Ridge Toasted Barrel Finish is bottled at 46.5% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available in selected liquor retailers in selected state in the US and via Master of Malt in the UK. A bottle will cost around £52/ US$60.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is bright gold and the nose is immediately vibrant, sweet and earthy. A distinct malty cereal aroma hits first and is quickly followed by some milk chocolate and cocoa. Then comes plenty of vanilla, fresh coconut and muscovado sugar. Further aromas of red apple, apricot jam and toasted walnut sit in the background, as does a pinch of baking spice and hint of eucalyptus oil.
On the palate this whisky has a creamy and buttery texture with a bright early woodiness shining through. This is reminiscent of freshly shaved oak, desiccated coconut and the toasted walnuts from the nose. Vanilla is everywhere and joined by delicious caramel and toffee-like notes. The combination of these sweet notes and the creaminess makes one think of crème brûlée. Hints of candied orange peel and marshmallow also evolve.
The malty cereal note is evident in abundance. It underpins everything and adds structure. The fruitiness from the nose takes time to come through in the mouth. Red apple notes are joined by the confected apricot again, but also by hints of fresh peach and dried pineapple. The baking spices, especially powdered ginger and cinnamon, warm things up late on as the oak returns. This gives drying and tannic grip.
The finish is long and becomes particular malty and woody. This is especially true once the sweeter and fruitier characteristics begin to fade. The gripping oak and spice now really shine through to create a warming and mouthwatering experience. It makes you want to reach for another glass and experience it again. This is accentuated by a late peppery kick and an even later return of the bitter orange oils and marshmallow.
What’s The Verdict?
This is a delicious whisky from the Virginia Distillery Company. We have sampled several of their whiskies and review the Signature Malt and have been suitably impressed. It is also an impressive achievement to win the Best American Single Malt prize at the World Whisky Awards. This is especially true given the evolution and growth of the category and the increasing amount of products entering such awards. This has the great depth and complexity of a single malt and a cask profile of a bourbon. The result is fabulous and worth searching out, especially if you have never tried American single malt before.
