Bourbon and port wine are a match made in heaven, especially if the A. Smith Bowman Distillery has anything to say about it.
The A. Smith Bowman Distillery has a long standing history with the Commonwealth of Virginia and, of course, bourbon whiskey. The original distillery is considered the oldest one in Virginia and was even the only producer of [legal] whiskey in the state until around the 1950s. Whiskey was certainly the name of the game for Bowman, but in the last few years the distillery has upped not only its whiskey game, but spirits game in general. On the shelves at the distillery, you’ll now be able to find impressive bourbons like John J. Bowman Single Barrel, Bowman Brothers Small Batch, and a 10-Year Cask Strength, as well as the entire experimental Abraham Bowman line that includes everything from cider finished bourbon to gingerbread beer finished bourbon. Not to mention, a gin, dark rum, and a caramel bourbon cream.
As if they didn’t have enough on their hands, A. Smith Bowman has also kicked off Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. Now this combination isn’t exactly new – a few other distilleries including Angel’s Envy, Breckenridge, Litchfield, and Woodinville have all tried their hand at a port finish. However, A. Smith Bowman is still trying to perfect it.
The Isaac Bowman Bourbon is a small batch bourbon that starts out life in charred, white oak barrels (as all bourbon should be) and is then finished in port barrels. Port itself is a fortified wine and is known for its thick, sweet, jammy fruit flavor and texture. And while the first sip of Isaac Bowman absolutely delivered that flavor, the rest of the glass sadly did not.
Overall, Isaac Bowman has an oak, caramel, and corn flavor that’s carried by a slightly oil texture and a moderate finish. As a bourbon, it is smooth and delicious, but as a port finished bourbon it’s a bit underwhelming. There’s no official statement on how long Isaac Bowman spends in the port barrels, but our guess is not too long. A little more time in the barrel would help deliver that port flavor and really make this bourbon something special.
STATS: Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon
- Price for us: $40 for 750 mL
- Proof: 92
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: A.Smith Bowman, owned by the Sazerac Company
- Recommendation: Neat
