Bourbon Review
John J. Bowman Single Barrel
Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Pioneer Spirit
The Story
A. Smith Bowman has been distilling in Virginia since 1934, making it one of the older craft operations on the East Coast. John J. Bowman is their single barrel — 100 proof, and it gets more attention than most non-Kentucky bourbons, for good reason. Barrels are picked one at a time so there's some bottle-to-bottle variation, but the house style holds: rich, dessert-like, built for sipping.
Nose, Palate & Finish
Nose
Vanilla and caramel right away — doesn't make you work for it. Some oak underneath, a little cherry, a bit of cinnamon. Warm at 100 proof without being aggressive.
Palate
Full and creamy going in. Brown sugar and butterscotch take over the middle, with some baking spice and dried fruit behind it. Oak's there but not pushy. A little rye spice in the back keeps it from getting too sweet.
Finish
Medium-long, warm, a little spice. Sweetness fades into dry oak and vanilla. Clean, satisfying — not the most complex finish, but exactly what you want from this style.