John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Distillery: A. Smith Bowman Distillery

Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia

Aging: No Age Statement

ABV: 50%

Proof: 100

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Non-Chill Filtered: Yes

MSRP Price: $60

Appearance: Dark Gold

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich, buttery caramel, toasted oak, bold vanilla, citrus zest, banana, green apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon (like a red hot)

Palate: Buttery caramel, lightly toasted oak, light fruits, rye spice, black pepper, clove, baking spice

Finish: Long, smooth finish – buttery mouthfeel that leaves you with lovely caramel and oak flavors then twists into a really nice balance of lingering rye spice, black pepper, and cinnamon red hot

Is John J. Bowman Single Barrel an Approachable Whiskey?

John J. Bowman Single Barrel is a very approachable whiskey.

Even though it has a 50% ABV, it drinks very smoothly and has excellent flavors in each sip.

Is John J. Bowman Single Barrel Complex?

John J. Bowman Single Barrel has a lot of layers of flavor.

It starts with a beautiful nose full of caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, and bright fruits with a light bit of red-hot cinnamon candy.

As you take your first sip, it hits you with a nice balance of caramel and sweet flavors that remind me of candied fruits.

It then twists a little bit into the rye spice and light pepper for a bit of spice on the finish and I get an interesting flavor of red-hot candies 10-15 seconds after the sip.

What are John J. Bowman Single Barrel’s strongest attributes/flavors?

John J. Bowman Single Barrel’s strongest attribute is the smooth balance of sweet caramel flavors, fruit notes, and slight rye spice and pepper on the finish.

It almost reminds me of Buffalo Trace whiskey which is what many people often compare this whiskey to. I can see why so many people think they use a similar mash bill because the fruit notes stand out to me right away.

Is John J. Bowman Single Barrel a go-to whiskey?

John J. Bowman Single Barrel would be a great go-to whiskey.

This is a pour that I could drink all the time and would never be disappointed.

It’s got an extremely smooth finish and has so many flavors that you will continuously be pouring another glass just to see what new flavors you’ll find with each sip.

Since I live in Pennsylvania, we never see this bottle on the shelves. But if I did, I would be buying this one often.

I was lucky to find this bottle on my most recent trip to Louisville for a birthday trip with my dad to explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and visit a bunch of distilleries.

Is John J. Bowman Single Barrel priced accurately to its quality?

John J. Bowman Single Barrel is a little bit pricey, but I do think it’s priced accurately to its quality.

It’s an excellent balance of all the flavors you could expect in a bourbon.

Conclusion for John J. Bowman Single Barrel

I’m very happy that I purchased this single-barrel bottle of John J. Bowman bourbon.

I had always heard of this whiskey and since I’ll never find it in Pennsylvania, I purchased it the moment I saw it while I was in Kentucky.

If you see it on the shelf, I highly recommend picking this one up and letting me know what you think of it.

Let Us Know What You Think

I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.

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Thanks for reading and cheers!