*A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Batch #2 Bottle. Image courtesy: asmithbowman.com.*

On the heels of coming second in my Best Bourbon of 2022, A. Smith Bowman follows it up with Batch #2 of their Cask Strength Bourbon. And it may be even better than the first.

A Smith Bowman distillery is as always an interesting experiment in what one distillery can do with another’s distillate. Taking the high wines from Buffalo Trace Distillery and trucking them across to Virginia, some are redistilled, some rebarreled, with other treatments available.

Just within the A. Smith Bowman line, we’ve seen blends of multiple years (The Millenium Blend), beer barrel finishing (Gingerbread Stout), and Batch 1 of the A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength, let alone a rye that started this experimental line (and - insider info - there’s more rye coming!). Each release is worth trying, though to me they’re of mixed success (not a fan of the beer barrels).

The Cask Strength, though, is the granddaddy of their products. It’s the George T. Stagg of A. Smith Bowman (in more ways than one). A mature, cask strength straight bourbon that is the quintessential expression from its distillery. And I must say - this is another home run.

I tried this the same night I tried the 2022 George T. Stagg, and this had far more complexity and depth than its BTAC cousin. It’s hot, for sure, but for 144.5º it drinks much easier than, say, the Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill Small Batch (2022) or its Stagg cousin just a few proof points lower. Again inviting comparison to the 2022 GTS, which is largely a cherry bomb, the A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength takes those cherries and brandies them before flambéeing it in a brown sugar syrup. I’d equate it to the jarred maraschino cherries we all ate as kids to the cocktail cherries from Traverse City Whiskey Co. or Mammoth Distilling. Yes, both cherries - otherwise, completely different.

In short, this is an easy top of the list bourbon for this year. I have zero chance of getting a full bottle, but I’ll be content with the 100ml sample. Bourbons like this don’t come around every day - but I do hope they come every year.

Thank you to A. Smith Bowman for providing a sample of this bottle free of editorial constraint.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Batch #2: Specs

Classification: Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Origin: A. Smith Bowman Distillery (via Buffalo Trace Distillery)

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Proof: 144.5 (72.25% ABV)

Age: 10 Years

Location: Virginia

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Batch #2 Price: $100

Official Website

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Batch #2: Tasting Notes

Eye: Grade A maple syrup. Break-apart rims, thin legs that run quickly.

Nose: Plenty of proof at first, verging on acetone. Backing away from the glass, bourbon intensity opens. Intense is the right word from nose to finish on this one. Bold and hot, brown sugar and cloves, brown sugar caramel turning to toffee. The thick smell of bourbon in a warehouse’s upper floors in the summer.

Palate: Cherries, brandied and flambéed. Proof heat rolls over the tongue from tip to throat. Dark chocolate-covered cherry jam, slightly numbing. Dark brown sugar being creamed with butter. Mouthfeel is gripping, front-tongue centered, medium-bodied and growing on the chew. Cherries and black grapes with oak in the corners of my mouth. Not at all astringent.

Finish: Sits on the tongue in a lacquer of brown sugar and dried tart cherries. Oak astringency shows itself quite mildly, appearing but never gaining a foothold on a long finish.

Overall: Damn that’s good stuff. Proof bomb for sure, but develops in complexity with brown sugar and cherries in various forms after the initial heat lessens a bit. Medium-to-long finish lowers the proof and helps the other flavors come through. Worthy follow up to Batch #1.

Final Rating: 8.4

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation