Food & Drink

Review: A Smith. Bowman Abraham Bowman Rum Finished Bourbon

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We’ve skipped just a few beats lately with A. Smith Bowman’s annual Abraham Bowman experimental releases. The 2019 bottling was reportedly much more restricted than regular (which is actually restricted) and final 12 months’s launch, an intriguing sounding bourbon completed in Virginia Port wine and Sauternes casks, managed to additionally elude us. However not this 12 months (err, final 12 months)! On the tail finish of 2021, Bowman launched probably the oldest rum cask completed bourbon ever produced, a whiskey that spent a full six of its wholesome 15 years getting old in rum casks (that presumably as soon as held the distillery’s George Bowman rum). What does Bowman bourbon style like in spite of everything these years in a rum barrel?

Fairly incredible.

The nostril melds the bourbon and ending cask superbly with notes of torched sugar, which come throughout a contact smoky, a thick notice of sticky vanilla bean, and layers of tropical fruit that alternate between candied and barbecued. Because it opens, dried tobacco and heat gingerbread add one other dimension. The palate reveals the identical spectacular steadiness. That a lot time in a rum cask might simply have made this bourbon overly rummy (learn: tropical and candy), however not right here. The bottom bourbon is amplified however not sugared, with wealthy, spherical notes of buttery toffee, pie spice, and a little bit of contemporary citrus, complemented by the darker, deeper molasses notes from the rum cask. The oak on this one is splendidly expressive with darkish chocolate, wealthy vanilla syrup, and toasty barrel char which provides only a trace of bitterness to maintain issues from skewing too saccharine. The end is lengthy with darkish spices, baking cocoa, and demerara syrup. As experiments go, this one is a powerful success.

Now, for the disappointing half. Bowman devotees camped out for this launch again in December, and until you’re a fortunate Virginia resident within the upcoming ABC lottery, your possibilities of grabbing a bottle are fairly slim. Who is aware of? Maybe a model of this one will make its approach into the longer term Bowman lineup. Fingers crossed.

100 proof.

A / $70 / asmithbowman.com

A Smith. Bowman Abraham Bowman Rum Completed Bourbon

$70

Score


9.5/10

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