February 2013

Black Maple Hill Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Black Maple Hill Kentucky Straight Bourbon
47.5% ABV
$35-$40



What the distillery Says:
(No website but here’s a to Chuck Cowdery’s research into BMH)

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cherries, lavender, oranges, vanilla, fresh cut wood, and strong notes of acetone.
Palate: This is very chewy with an interesting interplay of tart and sweet. The late palate turns savory after rolling it around a bit.
Finish: A little hot and very woody. Seriously woody…like chewing a box of toothpicks plus morning after cigar mouth.
Comments: “The next Pappy Van Winkle” has been said recently. Not even close. Anything you get on the nose is tapered off on the palate and killed on the finish. This bottle of bourbon perplexed me a bit. I remember this being much better than the bottle I bought in 2012.
Rating: Average

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Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV
$35
Website

What the Distillery Says:
John, Abraham, Joseph and Isaac Bowman were Virginia militia officers in the American Revolutionary War. In 1779, they led thirty pioneer families to Madison County, Kentucky and established Bowman’s Station. Later, the brothers helped establish and settle Fayette County. They were legends, admired and respected by fellow settlers for their courage and bravery. This hand-crafted bourbon whiskey is a tribute to these four heroic Bowman brothers from Virginia.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little medicinal, dark and rich with notes of tart berries, honeysuckle, dried apricots, and chocolate truffles.
Palate: Smooth and slow to evolve. You have to roll this one around a bit. Your reward is a little caramel sweetness, rich butteriness and a dangerous drinkability.
Finish: Warm, comforting, dried popsicle sticks, and black pepper.
Comments: Sadly, I had rare occasion to try any Bowman whiskeys until Truman Cox’s passing. This fact makes a sad occasion even sadder. A fine bourbon to show the bar stool geniuses that no, bourbon is not only made in Kentucky.
Rating: Stands Out

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