A. Smith Bowman might not be as famous as its sister distillery, Buffalo Trace, both of which are owned by the Sazerac Company. But that’s not for lack of trying, because this Virginia distillery produces some very good bourbon—and also some very high-proof bourbon, as evidenced by the release of its new Cask Strength expression.
This is the fourth Cask Strength release from A. Smith Bowman to date. We’ve covered previous expressions, including Batch 2 (a certifiable hazmat banger at 144.5 proof) and Batch 3 (relatively tame at 135.1 proof). The latest Cask Strength release, Batch 4, falls right in between the last two at 139.7 proof, which is .3 degrees shy of the level at which the FAA deems whiskey unsafe to be brought onboard an airplane. The whiskey is at least ten years old and was hand selected from the distillery’s barrels by distiller David Bock, according to the brand. “What our distillation team is trying to showcase with the Cask Strength series is an unvarnished truth of quality bourbon in its natural form,” he said in a statement. “There are no finishes with Cask Strength, meaning we must be meticulous when selecting barrels and blending the liquid. Each Cask Strength release is a unique sipping experience with its own special flavor profile and this fourth release is an excellent addition to the series.”
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A. Smith Bowman has an interesting production setup—some of the whiskey is actually distilled at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky and then shipped to Virginia in tanker trucks for a third distillation after which it is entered into barrels for maturation. The fact that the bourbon is matured in Old Dominion is key to these high proofs according to master distiller Brian Prewitt, who told Robb Report that the state’s hot, humid summers and mild winters mean that more water evaporates as part of the angel’s share than alcohol. We got to sample this new whiskey, and while it is extremely hot there is still a lot going on on the palate as well. Ten years in oak means there is a decent amount of oak and tannin, along with some leather, dark chocolate, and wet tobacco notes. But there are nice fruit notes to soften the alcohol’s blow, as well as an array of baking spices and a backbone of caramel and vanilla.
The only sticking point is that this new whiskey is a bit difficult to get ahold of. A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon #4 is available to purchase via an online lottery that opened on Monday and runs through March 3 at 12 pm EST (SRP $100). If you win a chance to buy a bottle, you have to physically travel to the distillery in Virginia to get it (a limited number of bottles will also be available at select retailers around the country). You can find other bottles from the distillery, like the Small Batch Bourbon, available to purchase from websites like Total Wine now.
