A barleywine-finished American single malt that trades the stout series’ heavier chocolate character for tropical sweetness, balanced pepper spice and a remarkably expressive palate.
Part of the Bourbon Bishop Virginia Craft Whiskey Starter Trail
This distillery is featured on my Bourbon Bishop Virginia Craft Whiskey Starter Trail in the Virginia Spirits Trail app, a curated way to explore some of the Commonwealth’s craft distilleries.
Stats
- Type: Finished American Single Malt
- Age: 5 years
- Proof: 116 (58% ABV)
- Mashbills: 100% Malted Barley
- Origin: Virginia Distillery Company — Lovingston, Virginia
- Finish: Revolution Brewing “Straightjacket” barleywine from Chicago, Illinois
- Blend Size: 6 barrels
- Release: Limited release
- MSRP: $59.99 / 750 mL (via Virginia Distilling Co.)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Cocoa powder and powdered sugar lead into dried mango, with an interesting yeastiness underneath. The profile hints at a sweet, dessert-like whiskey, but the aromas feel somewhat dry and less expressive than the palate that follows.
- Palate: The palate is incredibly sweet and more viscous, with milk chocolate and a much less grain-forward character than the stout-finished releases. The sweetness balances the malted barley and black pepper beautifully, producing a richer, more cohesive experience.
- Finish: Black pepper arrives with a burst of pineapple juice and tropical sweetness, followed by a moderate linger of tropical fruit, Heath Bar and underlying pepper. There’s a little more heat than expected, but the sweet fruit and spice remain impressively balanced.
Of the VDC Brewers Coalition releases I’ve tried, Revolution Brewing Straight Jacket Barleywine Cask Finished American Single Malt is my favorite. While the stout-finished expressions lean into chocolate, dark fruit and earthy malt, this barleywine collaboration takes a sweeter, more tropical direction, with pineapple, milk chocolate and black pepper working together in a way that feels unusually cohesive.
At $59.99, it costs just $5 more than the stout-finished releases, yet offers a more distinctive flavor profile, higher proof, and a stronger overall experience. The nose is the main letdown, presenting dried fruit, dry chocolate and powdered sugar without the complexity I hoped for. But once the whiskey reaches the palate, the balance of sweetness, malt and spice makes this the standout of the group.
Presentation
The bright orange and yellow label gives this release a tropical, energetic look that stands apart from the darker stout-finished bottles.
It also happens to fit the whiskey inside: the warmer colors hint at the sweetness and fruit that make this my favorite of the collaborations I’ve tried.
Distinctiveness
This is the most distinctive whiskey of the three Brewer’s Coalitions I’ve reviewed. The barleywine finish brings a tropical sweetness that works beautifully with the American single malt’s black pepper and malted barley, while the milk chocolate and pineapple combination creates a profile that feels both unusual and cohesive.
The closest comparison that comes to mind is the pineapple rum-finished bourbon blend from Bardstown Bourbon Company. The two aren’t identical, but they share that compelling intersection of tropical fruit and dessert-like sweetness.
“The barleywine finish brings a tropical sweetness that works beautifully with the American single malt’s black pepper and malted barley… a profile that feels both unusual and cohesive.”
Transparency
As with the other VDC Brewers Coalition releases, the collaboration deserves credit for naming Revolution Brewing and its Straight Jacket barleywine as well as providing the barrel amount for this blend.
The remaining gaps are the precise finishing duration and more specific ages for the whiskey components. Additional production details would help drinkers better understand how the beer and whiskey interact.
Value
At $59.99, this is my pick for the best value of the three.
It costs only $5 more than the stout-finished releases, yet delivers the most distinctive flavor profile, high proof, and the best balance of sweetness, spice and malt.
The price difference feels justified by the quality of the overall experience.
Buy if:
- You love tropical fruit and pineapple in whiskey.
- You want a beer-finished American single malt that stands apart from typical stout cask expressions.
- You enjoy milk chocolate, dessert-like sweetness and black pepper in balance.
- You want the most distinctive and compelling bottle of the Brewer’s Coalitions (that I’ve subjectively tasted)
Skip if:
- You prioritize a complex, expressive nose above all else.
- You prefer dry, restrained whiskey profiles over pronounced sweetness.
- You dislike black pepper spice or a little extra heat.
- You’re specifically looking for a traditional stout-finished, chocolate-dominant whiskey.
Verdict
Straight Jacket is the kind of collaboration that makes experimenting with beer-finished whiskey worthwhile. The nose is the weak link: cocoa powder, powdered sugar and dried mango are pleasant enough, but the aromas lack the depth and fullness I’d expect from a whiskey this compelling elsewhere. Fortunately, that first impression doesn’t tell the whole story.
The palate is where everything comes together. A viscous, sweet texture carries milk chocolate and malt, while pineapple and tropical fruit bring freshness to the finish. Black pepper supplies structure without overwhelming the sweetness, and the lingering combination of fruit, Heath Bar and spice makes each sip feel complete. There’s a little more heat than I’d expect, but it doesn’t undermine the balance.
At $59.99, this is the standout of the three VDC Brewers Coalition releases covered here. It is more distinctive than the stout-finished expressions, and the barleywine influence creates a flavor profile that feels genuinely different rather than simply adding another layer of chocolate. The nose keeps it from being flawless, but the palate and finish more than compensate. If you’re choosing just one bottle from this group, Straight Jacket is where I’d start.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
Tropical pineapple, milk chocolate and black pepper make this barleywine-finished single malt the most distinctive and satisfying bottle of VDC’s Brewer’s Coalitions that I’ve sampled.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 3.75 / 7
- Palate: 5.2 / 7
- Finish: 5.4 / 7
- Presentation: 5.5 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 5.75 / 7
- Transparency: 6 / 7
- Value: 5.25 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 5.26 / 7 – Divine
Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. Often high value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This bottle was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
About Virginia Distillery Co.
Virginia Distillery Co. is an American Single Malt distillery located in Lovingston, Virginia, founded by George G. Moore with a vision of creating world-class American whisky inspired by the traditions of the Old World while embracing the possibilities of American production. Today, the distillery is operated by George’s wife, Angela, and son, Gareth Moore.
The distillery is best known for Courage & Conviction, its flagship American Single Malt, along with a broader range of American Single Malts featuring cask finishes drawn from both Old and New World traditions. Its work frequently explores the influence of different maturation and finishing casks, making experimentation and innovation central to the Virginia Distillery Co. approach.
Through projects such as The Brewer’s Coalition, Virginia Distillery Co. has expanded that experimentation into collaborations with breweries around the country, using distinctive beer barrels to explore new expressions of American Single Malt while building connections between American whisky and craft brewing.
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