A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years Review

Conceptually, the A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years should be awesome. It’s made from a re-distilled Bowman designate from Buffalo Trace that’s been aged for 10 years and delivered at cask strength, and what a cask strength it is: 141.1 proof! It was offered, via lottery, for only $100 and in a day where lifestyle brands might charge 2x that, it oddly feels like a steal.

I’m not going to get into pricing and perceived value, instead I’m going to circle back to that “re-distilled Bowman designate from Buffalo Trace” statement above. 100% of pre-2015 Bowman was made from spirit that was first created at Buffalo Trace, for Bowman, and then redistilled at Bowman. In 2015 they shifted to a new make that’s a combination of spirit distilled on-site and re-distilled from BT. This being 10-years-old puts it at a 2011 distillation.

Unique and interesting from the get-go, I’ve been a fan of Bowman products since my first sip, though this is my first at full cask strength because their John J Bowman Single Barrels are done at 50%. Will this hazmat bottle be as amazing as it sounds, or will it be punch of alcohol with nothing else behind it? Let’s get to drinkin’ and find out.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Virginia, USA

Distiller: A Smith Bowman Distillery
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Malted Barley (re-distilled, “Bowman specified”, distillate)
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 70.55%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 1

Price: $100*

White background tasting shot with the A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Our Limited Edition Cask Strength Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey is 141.1 proof, was aged for 10 years, and features delightful aromas of vanilla, apple, and dried cherries. Taste the flavors of wonderful toasted pecan and candied nuts which give way to brown sugar, brown spice, and toasted coconut. This bourbon is bottled uncut and non-chill-filtered, with an oily and viscous aftertaste that keeps going long after the final sip.” – A. Smith Bowman

Tasting Notes

EYE
Ruddy amber

NOSE
Oak, butterscotch, dried dark fruit, citrus peels, cocoa, baking spice, herbal, metallic and a touch solventy with the alcohol pops.

Water brings out more of the dark fruit and cocoa notes, and tames the alcohol a bit, but doesn’t dramatically change the profile.

PALATE
Oak, peanut butter, butterscotch, dried dark fruit, citrus peels, cocoa, baking spice, herbal, metallic and a touch solventy with the alcohol notes.

Palate of the A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years is almost the same as the aroma. Water adds more dark sweetness with some brown sugar and burnt caramel notes showing and a nice reduction of the alcohol pop that all still sits under a heavy plank of oak.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, nuts and caramel fades slowly to an herbal spicy note.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good balance, full body and a warm drying feel.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength 10 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score

I try my hardest to not look at things like proof, age, press releases, verbiage on the bottle, and especially other reviews, until I’ve done my first pass at a whiskey, I want as little knowledge as possible going into it. Some things are harder than others to avoid, I try my hardest, but things like the press release, verbiage on the back or sides of the bottle and other reviews are very easy to avoid and reduce preconceived thoughts.

The press release and misc. bottle text I never read until the review is done and I’m writing the fluffy and technical stuff above the tasting notes. Other reviews I never read until after the review is posted on the site and ‘set in stone”. I take as many precautions as possible to have as little influence as possible in my reviews which is why, after the first review pass I was floored to see the proof was over 140. I had to do a triple take, this does not drink like a hazmat.

This isn’t good, it’s awesome. They did an excellent job of picking casks that didn’t just bring the heat, but also brought depth, complexity and a powerful delivery that blossoms with some water. There’s so much more going on here than just alcohol and I’m enjoying every sip and sniff of this fantastic whiskey and that kind of sucks. Not for me, but for the batches that come after it – they have a monster of a whiskey to live up to.

SCORE: 4.5/5

*Disclosure: The bottle for this Bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.