Isaac bowman bourbon review

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. In the world of finished bourbons, there is one cask that is rarely used: Port Wine. Both are non-age isaac bowman bourbon review although they may be around 5 to 6 years old and both have been finished in port barrels. I decided to sample these semi-blind to find out for myself.

Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more. This is a non-LE release of Bowman spirit, finished in port casks. I'm not sure if this product sees distribution outside of Virginia, at least at this time. Pepper, cocoa and some oak. Tobacco, faint fruitiness. Some weird new make notes.

Isaac bowman bourbon review

The A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, Virginia is a bit of an odd set-up. It can trace its roots back to , when, right after Prohibition ended, a man named Abram Smith Bowman opened up a distillery in what is now Reston. In , faced with soaring real estate prices so close to Washington D. Smith Bowman relocated south to Fredericksburg. In , the business was purchased by Sazerac. This is when things start to get a little different. If I understand it all correctly, Sazerac basically outsources the production, through the first distillation, of all A. Smith Bowman bourbons to its Buffalo Trace distillery. Then that first run spirit is sent to A. Smith Bowman for its second distillation and maturation. They also warehouse their barrels by standing them on their ends instead of on their sides also not often done in the bourbon world.

Quite a bit of spiciness that makes it seem as if someone dropped a jalapeno in my glass. The finish is long, with a gradual pulsating re-emergence of the sweeter and richer isaac bowman bourbon review elements. Malt: Any other comments about the relationship between Bowman and Buffalo Trace?

D efinitely not, if current trends are any indication. While cask finishes may be old hat to the Scotch whisky aficionados in our audience, they remain a novelty in the land of American whiskey. These have been finished in casks ranging from Amaro to XO Cognac, with many exotic options in between. Furthermore, finishing can be used to turbocharge the flavor on otherwise innocuous bourbon. Smith Bowman distillery of Fairfax County, Virginia.

Abraham Smith Bowman Distillery — otherwise known as A. Bowman Distillery — opened the day after Prohibition ended in , and for years was the only legal distillery in Virginia. Bowman Distillery spirits are today made at the hand of experienced Master Distiller Brian Prewitt , who was first steeped in the world of beer brewing before branching into distilling spirits. Bowman Distillery produces a dark rum, a vodka and a gin, but is best known for its whiskey. This joins the bandwagon of a few other craft distilleries of late incorporating port into their spirits read more in this post about the beginnings of the trend of port-barrel finished whiskies. The whiskey is aged in new, charred American white oak barrels, with no age statement specifically available though it reportedly falls in the 4. The port barrels used for finishing come from Virginia and Portugal, made using American and French Limousin oak, and the whiskey ages in these from months before blending to create the bourbon to be bottled. Nose: The port is noticeable from the get-go, as is stewed fruit — earthy and sweet. Another layer of lighter sweetness brought to mind gummy bears, followed by subtle spice. Palate: Layered and complex.

Isaac bowman bourbon review

Not a lot of burn. In this case however, I went with a bottle without trying and was pleasantly surprised. I had the opportunity about a year and a half ago to try the Abraham Bowman Port Finished Limited Edition and it was exceptional.

Amazon hosepipes

Brian: Yes, we still produce Virginia Gentleman Bourbon. For all of A. Recent Articles. Share: Like it? Rye Whiskey Review. Smith Bowman relocated south to Fredericksburg. As the sole legal distillery in Virginia until , Bowman was best known for its Virginia Gentleman brand. The oak and spice are relatively subdued with nutmeg, clove and faint star anise.. This could be because of the lower proof, but it could also be an issue with this particular batch. Lots more nutty chocolate here as well; candied almonds, dark chocolate, salted peanuts, and a hint of mint chocolate. These fruity notes linger in somewhat acidic and tart form, which I actually find an improvement over the sticky sweetness implied on the nose. Sign me up. First time drinkers might turn their nose up to it, while more experienced drinkers might appreciate its more curious traits. Learn how your comment data is processed. Smith Bowman bourbons to its Buffalo Trace distillery.

Smith Bowman seems to have no shortage of relatives under whom it can bottle whiskey. The whiskey joins a prior Port-finished bottling though quite a bit different in production that was released under the Abraham Bowman line and which hit the market in The nose is quite a delight, chocolatey and raisin-heavy, without the dominating wood profile of the Abraham Bowman bottling referenced above.

In , faced with soaring real estate prices so close to Washington D. Recent Reviews. This distillery was started by farmer you guessed it! Held first as a prisoner, then later reportedly adopted by another tribe, legend has it that Bowman eventually somehow escaped to Cuba and by had made it safely back to Virginia. The tank is not allowed to be emptied more than half way before being topped with a new blend. There's faint cocoa and tobacco, without a lot of port character at all. He answered some but not all of my questions, below:. In the mouth: Indeed, this is more balanced through the mouth, where the port barrel plays a supporting role rather than being the lead. A peculiarity of the maturation process entailed the barrels being stored vertically on their end, rather than horizontally on their side, as is the custom in Kentucky. However, some details that we do share are as follows: Our fermentations generally take less than a week depending upon the recipe, the majority of our whiskies are triple distilled to a to proof range but some are only double distilled. In the end though, a good deal of its additional value will lean on how heavily someone enjoys its unique traits. A welcoming aroma of brown sugar, sweet cinnamon, oak, and a twinge of floral potpourri. Loading Comments Your review. Nose : A very heavy and sweet nose.