Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt Review [In Depth]
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt
by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer
Founder, writer
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt Details
Distillery: Virginia Distilling Company
Type & Region: American Single Malt, Virginia, USA
Alcohol: 46%
Composition: 100% malted barley
Aged: At least 4 years
Color: 0.7/2.0 on the color scale (amber)
Price: $80
From the company website:
Courage & Conviction Bourbon Cask is an American Single Malt whisky distilled, matured, and bottled on-site at our distillery in Lovingston, Virginia. Aged a minimum of four years, this 100% malted barley whisky is matured in first-fill Bourbon casks sourced from Kentucky, adding depth and complexity.
This whisky is true to form, showcasing its beautiful natural color with no chill-filtering. On the nose, expect aromas of vanilla, shortbread, and a touch of cedar. The silky body brings flavors of orange oil, toasted coconut, and graham cracker on the palate. The soft finish lingers with cinnamon and mild barrel spice.
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt overview
I’ve lived in the DC area for years and seen various Courage and Conviction single malts on shelves, but this is the first time that I’m actually drinking something from a local-ish distillery. Admittedly, it would still take me ~3 hours to drive to the Virginia Distillery Company facility in Lovingston, so it’s not actually that local, but it’s still in a neighboring state. For reference, it’s probably 30 minutes away from Charlottesville, the home of the University of Virginia.
Virginia Distilling Company was founded in 2011 but did not start distilling till 2015. Since then, they have released a wide range of only American single malts matured and finished in various casks. You can see more or less their entire line here, and that doesn’t include their single barrel single malts.
The Alcohol Professor provides a brief history of the distillery, and Virginia Distillery Company’s own website provides surprisingly detailed information on American single malt whiskey.
You can skip the next few paragraphs if you already know about this, but I’m going to briefly educate you on American single malt. The short description is that it has many of the same rules as bourbon or rye, which include being made in the United States, maximum barreling proof (120 proof), maximum distillation proof (160 proof), and ABV of at least 40% ABV in the bottle, but there also are some important differences.
The first major difference is that American single malts are made with 100% malted barley instead of at least 51% corn (bourbon) or at least 51% rye (rye whiskey). It feels more like Single Malt Scotch, which is also made with 100% malted barley.
The part that is radically different to bourbon (but similar to how Scotch is classified) is that American single malt whiskeys can be aged in virgin white oak barrels (like bourbon or rye) as well as used casks (absolutely not allowed with bourbon or rye). This is where things get interesting because American single malts can be aged in a wide range of casks that impart very different characteristics, potentially getting some unique and interesting results.
This particular single malt was completely aged in ex-bourbon casks. Bourbon casks are the most common type of cask used to mature Scotch or American Single malt, mainly because they are so abundant. Since virgin oak casks can only be used once to age bourbon or rye, they’re effectively useless after the liquid is dumped out. They either are used to finish bourbon / rye, or you better find a way to get them out of the building.
Here’s the beauty of the process though, while they may be unusable for one distillery, they are incredibly valuable for others. Other companies take (buy?) these bourbon casks, and the casks often have a second / third / fourth lives aging other spirits. There’s a lot of bourbon being produced, and therefore there are a lot of used bourbon casks.
Let’s find out what Virginia’s take on single malt is like in this Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt whiskey review.
This sample was provided at no cost to me. All opinions are still my own.
As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt smell
I smell light honey, toasted malt / biscuit, vanilla, lemon zest, grapefruit, and maybe a little toasted oak, clove, and mint. Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask has bright and tropical scents, which is expected for bourbon cask aged single malt of any kind, American, Scotch, or anywhere else.
Unfortunately, it’s way more closed off and less full than I expected so the bright and tropical scents don’t jump out the glass as they often do with these types of single malts. Those things are there, but tough to coax out of the glass.
What I can sense smells good, but the closed off personally is a big drawback.
After swirling and 12 minutes of rest, I smell more floral honey, lemon peel, toasted malt, peach, vanilla, grapefruit peel, clove, and a faint hint of oak, herbal fennel, and minerality.
Swirling somewhat opens up the scents so they’re slightly improved from before, but they still feel closed off. I wouldn’t say that they’re thin, but the closed-off scents don’t do this any favors.
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt could smell really good ,but at this moment it’s just decent. It’s not bad or unpleasant by any means, but it’s tough to say anything more positive or complimentary because it doesn’t deliver that high level of an experience.
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt taste and aftertaste
I taste honey, lemon peel, toasted malt, vanilla, toasted oak, and some grapefruit peel. Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask Single Malt is surprisingly dry and not as vibrant and tropical as I hoped. It’s decent but I’m not liking it that much yet.
With intense “chewing” I taste honey, toasted malt, lemon peel, vanilla, grapefruit peel, lightly toasted oak, clove, fennel, and some mint. “Chewing” definitely helps and brings out a bit more sweetness and fruitiness so it’s more enjoyable than before.
It still has a surprising dryness in the middle and back of the flavors that is too forward for its own good. The tropical sweetness is not yet developed enough to stand out on its own and offset the dryness. The youth is glaringly obvious.
The finish leaves floral honey, toasted grain, lemon peel, and toasted oak that’s also surprisingly dry. Over time the dryness fades and it leaves a better finish with light tropical sweetness.
A bourbon cask aged single malt like this should have more expressive and vibrant tropicalness, but it only gets part way there. I can tell that there’s a good foundation, but this current version hasn’t gotten quite where it needs to be yet and it’s disappointing to taste.
I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too.
Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.
Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask American Single Malt Rating
I’m going to be straight and honest with you – I’m not impressed with Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask and it’s definitely an easy pass at $80…oof. I’m sure it can be good and other versions of the bourbon cask might be great, but this base version isn’t doing it for me. The foundation is there but it doesn’t come together into a great experience. I wish that it did because it sucks to already be over smelling and tasting the whiskey after 10 minutes.
It’s just so…closed off, straightforward, and kind of dull. Bourbon cask-aged single malt whiskey should be vibrant, tropical, fruity, and bright. The essence is there but the substance isn’t.
$75-80 is also a tough pill to swallow when Westward Cask Strength Single Malt and Minden Mill American Single Malt are comparably priced and in my opinion far superior. If you want to spend more, Lost Lantern Westland 9.99 Year Single Malt is another amazing option. All three American single malts I mentioned are “Top Shelf” and surprised me in very different ways.
I get that younger distilleries have very high fixed expenses so of course the whiskey is more expensive, but this is not the type of whiskey that brings people back to try / buy another release. This is the type of mediocre single malt that probably makes someone think “I think I’ve had enough and I’ll try something different.”
Based on my single experience with this American single malt, I recommend that you pass. Hopefully the other 2 versions that I have will be much better, because I truly do want these to be very good.
I have the courage and conviction to not recommend this one.
Meet the Author: Alex
I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.
There are no sponsors, no media companies, and no nonsense. Support The Whiskey Shelf by Buying Me A Shot.
Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)
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