Virginia distillery A. Smith Bowman was founded in 1927 in Fairfax County and, until the 1950s, was the only legal whisky producer in the state. Now located in Fredericksburg (since 1988), about half-way between Northern Virginia and the state capital, Richmond, the distillery is a part of the Sazerac/Buffalo Trace family (since 2003).
Bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV) & rumored to be using Buffalo Trace’s distillate, which is then aged in new charred American White Oak barrels before being finished for an unspecified amount of time in port wine casks, the bourbon under review is a multi-award winner and very fruit/port wine forward in both its aromas and flavors.
Bowman Port Barrel Finished is produced in small batches using an unspecified mash bill, a hybrid copper pot still. The port wine barrels used for finishing are sourced from both Virginia wineries (American White Oak) as well as French Limousin Oak from Portugal.
COLOR: Rust colored red & orange/brown
NOSE: The aroma profile is dominated by a delightful mix of red fruits (red berries), orchard fruits (apples, plums, peaches), & dried fruits (dark raisins) – coming across kind of like fruit punch mixed with fruit jams, stewed fruit compote, & a sweeter red wine. The fruit notes are followed by chocolate, caramel, light vanilla, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, & light cloves), a hint of honey, nuttiness, & a honeyed/sweetened tea note.
PALATE: The flavors mirror the nose with a prominent hit of fruity sweetness of those same fruits from the aroma profile followed by oak/barrel notes, unsweetened chocolate (like dried cocoa), unsweetened tea, baking spices (unsweet cinnamon & cloves primarily) with a hit of black pepper that together are somewhat drying on the palate, & not particularly sweet caramel with very light vanilla. There is also a bitterness at the backend of the sip, though this disappears quickly & is replaced by fruity sweetness. The alcohol comes across very lightly on both the nose & the palate.
FINISH: Short-Medium
MOUTHFEEL:
PRICE POINT (VA): $44.99 (750 ml)
VALUE: An approachable cask-finished bourbon that leans heavily into fruity, sweet notes. It is a very pleasant & enjoyable sipping bourbon. Those who don’t like prominent cask finishing notes, especially from wines, may want to skip it.
ALWAYS ON SHELF/BUY AGAIN? Yes.
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