Virginia Distillery Co. Charity Cask

Nose: A strong alcohol presence initially. After letting it rest for thirty minutes, the other aromas appear: Light honey, perhaps honeysuckle. Gardenias? Vanilla. Palate: Medium-bodied, which is heavier than anticipated. Honey and some of the heather found in Speyside single malts. The vanilla becomes more intense. Fruit that's hard to pinpoint, similar to canned fruit cocktail. A dark undertone from coffee adds some bitterness. Could coffee char be a descriptor? Finish: Quite long, with the sweetness evolving into coffee char. The spirit develops well from nose to finish and improved with time. Overall: I enjoy peated whiskies and seek out interesting variations of the charred depth that peat provides (Glendronach 12 is a good example). This is too delicate for comparison to heavily-peated whisky, but the coffee finish offers something similar, surprisingly without making the spirit excessively coffee-like. It's more akin to a roasted malt than a peated or coffee malt. Thankfully, this coffee characteristic enhances the sweetness in the rest of the spirit, creating a nice equilibrium. I had concerns it would taste like a flavored spirit or liqueur, but that's not the case. As is typical with this distillery, a few more years in the barrel might significantly benefit a spirit like this (perhaps mellowing the alcohol burn), but it possesses character and is worth trying for those seeking something different without a substantial risk. Extra credit for this being a fundraiser for the distillery's home county. More details can be found at https://shop.vadistillery.com/products/charity-cask