Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction Prelude

46% ABV 3.5-year-old American single malt Orchard fruits, caramel, butterscotch, fig, a mild nuttiness, and baking spice on the palate. Dark fruit notes are present but subtle, lingering into the finish. Remarkably smooth and well-balanced. The depth for its age is incredible. The climate in Virginia allows for significant aging in just a few years, which would typically take a decade or more in Scotland or Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed this dram. From the Virginia Distillery Company website: "Prelude: Courage & Conviction showcases early stocks of the distillery’s American Single Malt whisky, with distillation beginning in 2015. This offering is aged one season less than the inaugural Flagship release of Courage & Conviction, where the target profile is four years. This whisky is a marriage of three barrel types which showcase the primary aging casks for Courage & Conviction: Bourbon, Sherry and Cuvée casks. The Cuvée cask is present in Prelude: Courage & Conviction and will be amplified to highlight this key component in the inaugural Flagship offering of Courage & Conviction, arriving in the Spring of 2020."

Very young. If it were 8 to 10 years older, it would be outstanding. As is, it's just a sweet, young corn whiskey with an alcohol burn and green notes... Disappointing for the cost. I hope future versions are aged longer.

An American Single Malt that strongly evokes unpeated Scotch. Initially, there's a slight alcohol warmth, followed by apples coated in vanilla and honey, finishing with notes of figs, oak, and almonds.

Reminds me of a bourbon.

Meh.