If you are ever in the Washington D.C. area make it a point to drive the short distance to Fredericksburg in Virginia and take the one hour A. Smith Bowman distillery tour. It is absolutely amazing, informative, fun and free set on beautiful tucked away landscape in Northern Virginia. The tour guides are very friendly and unlike the Kentucky distillery tours, you can get a very personal tour of a distillery that is making amazing whiskey without all the commercialism and marketing hype behind the Bourbon industry. It has a real down home atmosphere and I think it provides an insight as where the industry will be in the next 15 to 20 years with the explosion of small run micro-distilleries. The future in Bourbon looks bright.
The Bowman distillery makes three lines of Bourbon. All their Bourbons use the same mashbill. The first is called Bowman Brothers and is a 7 year small batch whiskey. The second is called John J Bowman and is a 10 year single barrel. I'll be discussing the third.
The Abraham Bowman Gingerbread Finished Bourbon was released in 2013 and the concept behind this Bourbon was to age the whiskey for 8 years and then send it to a beer brewery. The brewery would then take the whiskey and age the whiskey in Gingerbread Stout beer barrels for 12 weeks and then in turn send the whiskey back to the Bowman distillery. Got all that?
The creativity that distillers such as Bowman exhibits is what is going to make the Bourbon whiskey industry even better and truly amazing down the road. I really love what they are doing in Fredericksburg.
PRODUCT SPECS
Whiskey Type - Bourbon
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) - 45%
Mashbill - 65% Corn, 20% Rye, 15% Malt
Age - 8 years.
NOSE
Vanilla
Banana Cream
Candied Fruits
Pineapple Rum Cake
Honeydew Melon
Fresh orange marmalade
PALATE
Dark chocolate
Espresso coffee
Tobacco
Light oak
FINISH
Medium that disappears rather quickly however is very smooth with relatively little burn.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
The Last Millennium Bourbon that was the previous release really set the bar high for the Bowman Distillery. Although this is an extremely good Bourbon, I must say it doesn't quite reach what the Last Millennium accomplished.
That all being said I think the nose on the whiskey is really amazing and the palate of dark chocolate and earthy tobacco and coffee is delightful. I just wish there was a little more complexity. The deliciousness goes away too quickly and I think that may have something to do with the age of the spirit being 8 years old.
Another issue is the price. For the Last Millennium I thought that the $70 price tag was more than justified. I really struggle with whiskies in this price range that I feel just lack that overall roundness and complexity. If you can get your hands on a bottle of any of the Abraham Bowman releases then I'd recommend doing so to give it a try. I think this release is worth a purchase of a single bottle. More than one bottle is hard for me to recommend. Just keep in mind that this whiskey doesn't last on the shelves very long.
PRODUCT RATING
3 out of 5. This is a really strong 3 out of 5. A truly enjoyable whiskey that offers up a wonderful dark chocolate flavor and amazing bouquet on the nose. I think it makes a great fall whiskey as the weather is starting to cool down and football season is in full effect. Enjoy.
RATING SYSTEM
0 - hot dog water - nothing redeeming
1 - one dimensional - not complex and can be flat in areas
2 - entry level whiskey - a few highlights for a good value
3 - daily sipper - solid, well made product that is always enjoyed.
4 - big whiskey - complex layered flavors - amazing balance
5 - huge, exceptional, unique, one of a kind
I love the old-timey look of the bottles coming out of the Colonel E.H. Taylor line. Currently distilled at Buffalo Trace there are 6 different types in the Taylor Collection ranging from rye to small batch to the single barrel bourbon and a few others. Today I'll be reviewing the Single Barrel Bourbon.
Most of the products within the Taylor Collection are done under something called Bottled In Bond(BIB). There are many American whiskeys that are BIB because of the perseverance of Colonel E.H. Taylor. It could be said that the American whiskey establishment owes a huge debt of gratitude to Taylor.
Long story short, Taylor uses his power and reputation in the industry to help back the Bottle in Bond Act of 1897 which essentially makes a partnership between a given distillery and the US Government to ensure that the US Government certifies the whiskey being released has undergone government supervision and has met all agreed upon standards. The term Bottled In Bond would then be printed on the bottle to give the customer comfort in knowing that the whiskey was authentic and not likely to harm them. This practice is still performed today.
The requirements are essentially that the product is distilled by one distillery for one distillation season (calendar year) and then stored in a federal warehouse under government supervision for a minimum of 4 years. Once the whiskey is identified to be ready for bottling, it is then bottled at 50% alcohol by volume. On each bottle the label must indicate where the whiskey was made and the location in which it was bottled. If you look at the photo above you'll read the words "Bottled In Bond" at the bottom of the label.
PRODUCT SPECS
Whiskey Type - Bourbon - Single Barrel
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) - 50%
Mashbill - Unknown
Age - No age statement on bottle. Most likely 11-12 years.
NOSE
Tropical fruit - coconut and oranges
Vanilla
Fudge
White Chocolate
Honey
Brown Sugar
Cedar wood
PALATE
Black pepper
Toasted Oak
Tobacco
Walnut
With water
Spearmint
Dark Roast Coffee
Tiny hint of red berries
FINISH
Medium with heavy oak, black tea and leather.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
This is a very drinkable daily sipper of a Bourbon. The nose is incredible and very complex with sugar sweetness however the palate and finish left something to be desired. I personally don't like a huge amount of oak wood in my palate and I felt like this bourbon isn't quite balanced in its flavor profile. There is a bitter and harshness that is sustained from the delivery through the finish. I added water to settle down the heat coming off the glass.
Colonel E.H. Taylor has been well received by friends and I enjoy sitting down and enjoying a bottle with them for something different. One of the biggest turnoffs is the price which typically falls in the $65 to $75 range. Quite frankly there are Bourbons that are just as good and if not better at half that price range.
PRODUCT RATING
3.5 out of 5. Again, its tough to justify the cost for this Bourbon however if you get the chance to purchase a bottle on sale and you want to experience a more bolder oaky Bourbon then I would recommend giving it a shot.
RATING SYSTEM
0 - hot dog water - nothing redeeming
1 - one dimensional - not complex and can be flat in areas
2 - entry level whiskey - a few highlights for a good value
3 - daily sipper - solid, well made product that is always enjoyed.
4 - big whiskey - complex layered flavors - amazing balance
5 - huge, exceptional, unique, one of a kind
Quick Blog Note
I went ahead an adjusted my rating scale from a 1-5 to a 0-5 in order to give a little more flexibility in rating. After thinking about the ratings I felt that if a whiskey really is terrible then it shouldn't get any points at all. This system may change yet again over time but I'll always go back and adjust the prior ratings to reflect within a new system.
Most people that are not familiar with anything outside Jack Daniels and Jim Beam have probably never heard of Weller. I first caught wind of it when researching the greater Bourbon universe and I had read many reviews regarding the products with the Weller name on them. I'm not going to go into the history of the name or anything like that but to say that it is another product owned by Sazerac and produced at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Kentucky. Over time you will see a common theme here with regards to American whiskey products in that many are distilled at only a handful of distilleries that are mainly in Kentucky.
It took me quite awhile to come across any Weller products at all in North Carolina or Virginia but at last I stumbled upon the Old Weller Antique (OWA 107) at an ABC store in Virginia. I've since noticed that OWA 107 can now be found pretty readily so it is possible that it is becoming more available in those areas.
PRODUCT SPECS
Whiskey Type - Bourbon
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) - 53.5%
Mashbill - I was unable to find any source. This is a Wheated Bourbon meaning that at least 51% of the mashbill must be corn and a high amount of the remaining ingredients will be made up of wheat as opposed to rye or barley.
Age - No age statement on bottle. Most likely 7 years.
NOSE
Tropical with hints of cedar wood.
Cherry syrup
Citrus lemon
Red hot cinnamon candy
Raspberry bubblegum
Light Spearmint in background
With water
Vanilla powder
Light banana pudding
PALATE
Dried tropical fruit
Cinnamon + Clove
Cereal oats
Black Pepper
Walnut
FINISH
Short very quick burst of sugar followed by a medium and heavy woody oak bitter and black tea finish.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
I am not a huge wheated Bourbon fan and so my review may be somewhat biased. I prefer the spiciness and punch-in-the-face of rye over the buttery rounded subtle smoothness of wheat in the mashbill. With this spirit I added about 4 or 5 drops of distilled water to settle down the alcohol heat coming off the glass and I also let the Bourbon settle down in the glass for a good half an hour. It has a lot of heat on it and overall I was not a huge fan of this particular Bourbon.
I thought the nose was very pleasant but it lacked a layer dimension and you could almost smell the harshness of the high proof in the alcohol. With the addition of water the nose settled down and some of the more classic vanilla, cola and honey notes could be detected.
The delivery is in your face and bitter. Black pepper and oak dominate both the palate and the finish. Again it was a medium length finish that did not disappear nor hang around for awhile but it fell somewhere in the middle.
Overall its not a particularly bad whiskey but it is not something I would drink every day. I think I had picked it up for somewhere in the $23 range give or take a buck.
PRODUCT RATING
2.5 out of 5. This is an entry level wheated Bourbon at a good price point. It is certainly not my cup of tea however I am not a real big wheated Bourbon fan.
RATING SYSTEM
0 - hot dog water - nothing redeeming
1 - one dimensional - not complex and can be flat in areas
2 - entry level whiskey - a few highlights for a good value
3 - daily sipper - solid, well made product that is always enjoyed.
4 - big whiskey - complex layered flavors - amazing balance
5 - huge, exceptional, unique, one of a kind
For my first review I decided to go with Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I have to say I absolutely love the products coming out of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort Kentucky. I'm not sure what it is about their products but they match what my taste buds are looking for when it comes to Bourbon. It's also a huge bonus when you go from one product to the next and you get that consistent flavor profile that lays the foundation in the whiskey.This product was one of the first whiskies that I sat down with for awhile to sip and enjoy.
Not so long ago when I made the move towards drinking Bourbon I watched a review of this product by Ralfy Mitchell. I went searching around for it and found it fairly easily for about $25 at my local Virginia ABC Store. Coming from somewhat of a Scotch perspective I didn't think $25 was going to get me much in terms of a decent anything however Ralfy has never steered me wrong.
PRODUCT SPECS
Whiskey Type - Bourbon
ABV - 45%
Mashbill - (Mashbill #1) which is considered the "wheat mashbill" - also used in George T. Stagg and Eagle Rare
Age - No age statement on bottle. Speculation is between 7 and 9 years.
NOSE
Brown sugar
Caramel
Creamy vanilla
Citrus (fresh lemon peel and light orange)
Light notes of cinnamon spice
Hints of honey and cola
PALATE
Toasted oak - slightly bitter
Black tea
Black pepper
Mint notes
Tobacco
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
Coming in at 45% Alcohol By Volume is respectable as there is a general rule of thumb which says that the higher the ABV the fuller the flavor that can be expected. I let the whiskey sit in the glass for a good 20 minutes to let it settle down a bit.
The nose is a perfect balance between being undetectable and hugely overwhelming and it has the undeniable characteristic of Buffalo Trace products. Once you've nosed a few you can pick up that foundation and it's beautiful.
The palate falls flat to me. For such a great nose I was expecting much more complexity in the flavor but it seems thin and the finish disappears rather quickly. I get a lot of wood and deeper spice characteristics but that's about it.
PRODUCT RATING
2 out of 5. This is a great entry level Bourbon for the money. It doesn't have much in terms of complexity but its still a good Bourbon to enjoy around the campfire.
RATING SYSTEM
0 - hot dog water - nothing redeeming
1 - one dimensional - not complex and can be flat in areas
2 - entry level whiskey - a few highlights for a good value
3 - daily sipper - solid, well made product that is always enjoyed.
4 - big whiskey - complex layered flavors - amazing balance
5 - huge, exceptional, unique, one of a kind
