Blue Ridge takes its name from the mountains that rise behind Virginia Distillery Co. in Lovingston, and from the wood used to finish it. This American single malt is aged for several years in first-fill bourbon barrels from Kentucky distilleries, then moved into virgin toasted oak casks made from Blue Ridge Mountain timber.
That toasted wood shows immediately. The nose is rich with caramel, soft vanilla and freshly baked brioche, with bright citrus, apricot, honeyed walnut, baking spice and toasted coconut behind. Honey coats a toasty palate, joined by plum and a warm cinnamon note, and the finish runs long with a waft of smoke and a cinnamon tingle.
Bottled without chill filtration and at natural colour, it is the most overtly oak driven whisky in the Virginia Distillery Co. range.