Abraham Bowman Virginia Limited Edition Bourbon Whiskey
138.6 Proof
Price Point: $70 – $80 for 750 ML
Distiller: A. Smith Bowman Distillery
Background
For the past two weeks, I have been reviewing expressions from the A. Smith Bowman distillery, one which I had toured back in December of last year. The first to be reviewed was the small batch expression, called Bowman Brothers. Last week I reviewed the single barrel, also known as John J. Bowman.
This week I will be reviewing the big daddy, the cask strength, limited edition bourbon known as Abraham Bowman. Before Truman Cox took over as master distiller, Abraham Bowman was a limited edition rye whiskey, not a bourbon. I haven’t had the pleasure of trying that iteration, but this one is just fine the way it is.
Review
Wow! The nose on Abraham Bowman is big and bold. It almost has a Sharpie pen quality to it. It can make you feel a bit tipsy from the fumes by themselves!
The taste tells the story here. It seems very well aged, further than most other bourbons. The oak is very prevalent, still sweet like the small batch and single barrel, but toned down.
The finish is very long due to its high proof. It will make your eyes water and clear your sinuses right up!
Rating & Recommendations
Abraham Bowman is an excellent bourbon, but too high proof to enjoy regularly. I rate it a 91 out of 100.
Use caution when drinking this bourbon as you can get yourself into a lot of trouble very quickly. Consider watering it down or simply cutting your portion in half.
-Ryan
2 comments
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I stopped at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg VA on April 11. They didn’t have any Abraham Bowman Limited Edition bourbon on hand, and Bill Jones, the tour guide for that day, explained that it sells out almost as soon as it’s bottled. You’re lucky to have a bottle in your possession. Ration your pours to special occasions and drink something else for your everyday swill.
One thing to note about the Abraham is that each batch that is released is different. They have changed what they do every time and have yet to repeat themselves. I would keep my eyes open for all of them. They did a wine finished one which I thought was the best bourbon I have ever had. I currently have a bottle of the wheated bourbon which comes in at a respectable 9 years old. It was good as well.
Basically Bowman gets the white dog from Buffalo trace and then redistills it to the proof they want before barreling. They mash is still secret.
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