The late Dr. George G. Moore had a great passion for single malt whisky and his adopted home in Virginia. A native Irishman, George came to the U.S. in the 1970s seeking new opportunities. In 2011, having built successful businesses in both the U.S. and Ireland, George finally had the chance to combine his two passions and started Virginia Distillery Company. Today, George’s wife, Angela, and their son, Gareth, along with his wife, Maggie, have taken the helm to continue building George’s dream. At Virginia Distillery Company, we carry George’s legacy forward by reinventing American Single Malt whisky. Every barrel is a culmination of the world’s finest distilling, aged to perfection in the ideal climate of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Virginia Spirits Trail
our spirits
Using the highest quality malted barley and fresh spring water fed from the Blue Ridge Mountains, our spirit was developed to leverage Virginia’s climate, allowing the broad temperature shifts to add depth to our whisky. Hand-hammered copper pot stills crafted in Scotland are used to distill our spirit using time-honored techniques. What makes us a distinctly American whisky, and defines our signature taste, is our unique combination of casks aged in Virginia’s climate.
Every barrel is a culmination of the world’s finest distilling, aged to perfection in the ideal climate of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. While inspired by time-honored traditions, we forge traditions of our own, making whisky more than what has been while remaining true to ourselves and our home.
Proudly enjoy our handcrafted American whisky that rivals the finest single malts in the world.
Our brands are Courage and Conviction and VHW.
COURAGE AND CONVICTION
With the courage to create our own traditions, and the conviction to remain true to ourselves and our home, Courage & Conviction sets the new standard for American Single Malt whisky, rivaling the finest in the world.
Using the highest quality malted barley and fresh spring water fed from the Blue Ridge Mountains, our spirit was developed to leverage Virginia’s climate, allowing the broad temperature shifts to add depth to our whisky. Hand-hammered copper pot stills crafted in Scotland are used to distill our spirit using time-honored techniques. What makes us a distinctly American whisky, and defines our signature taste, is our unique combination of casks aged in Virginia’s climate. Aging in exceptional casks adds intensity and complexity to the spirit.
The whiskies of Courage & Conviction, developed under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Swan, feature three core cask types:
Bourbon casks: These barrels formerly held Kentucky bourbon from well-known distilleries. Aging in American oak bourbon casks add notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, oak, smoke and cinnamon.
Sherry casks: The distillery uses Sherry cask types, including Fino, Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez. These casks give the whisky notes of tart cherry, golden raisin, fig, caramelized plum, brown sugar and spice.
Cuvée casks: This innovative barrel is sourced from premium European red wine producers. After the wine is removed, the cask is broken down, the interior shaved, re-toasted and re-charred, and then put back together again. The re-toasting and re-charring of the cask energizes the wood sugars and brings forward barrel spice, bright red fruit and toasted pecan.
The flagship offering of Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whisky showcases each of these cask types with the target recipe of 50% Bourbon Cask, 25% Sherry Cask and 25% Cuvée Cask. This whisky is bottled in batches with the inaugural release hitting shelves in 2020.
New offerings in 2021 include solo bottlings of each of the core cask types: Courage & Conviction Bourbon Cask, Courage & Conviction Sherry Cask and Courage & Conviction Cuvée Casks.
VHW
Proud to offer the VHW series, made from 100% malted barley. Showcasing the traditions of whisky-making around the world and the influence of our home in the New World. Marrying our American Single Malt whisky made in Virginia with aged Scotch malt whisky, yielding a distinguished and complex spirit.
Offerings in the VHW series include Port Cask Finished Whisky, Cider Cask Finished Whisky, Brewers Batch and Chardonnay Cask Finished Whisky.
