Stands Out

Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

45% ABV
$40
Website

What the Distiller Says

A. Smith Bowman Distillery finished its bourbon in a variety of port barrels from across Virginia and from Portugal for between three to six months, depending on flavor, before marrying them together to create Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. These barrels were made using American Oak and French Limousin Oak, with some barrels originating from Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, and others. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt tasted these barrels every month to determine the optimum time to be emptied.
Prewitt describes this bourbon as having a dark amber color with a reddish hue.
“The nose greets you with our characteristic cherry and baked apple but supplemented with jammy fruit notes and balanced with the enticing aroma of vanilla, brown spice, and toasted
pecans,” Prewitt notes.
He describes the flavor as “bold and sweet with the toasty notes of French and American oak rounding out to a long smooth finish that pleasantly lingers on the palate.”
A portion of each batch will be held back for blending with the next batch to ensure consistency in flavor and color going forward.
This port barrel finished bourbon is named after Captain Isaac Bowman, the youngest of the Bowman Brothers, who was a soldier and Virginia militia officer in the American Revolutionary War. Isaac was at one point taken as a prisoner of war, but was able to make a historic escape before embarking on a two-year adventure and then returning home to Virginia. He then settled down at Fort Bowman Estate where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner. The Distillery felt it fitting to name this bourbon after Isaac whose great American spirit was evident throughout his life and many adventures.
While Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon was only released once in limited quantities, Isaac Bowman will be offered as an everyday item as part of the Distillery’s standard line of spirits for the suggested retail price of $39.99. Isaac Bowman will launch initially in Virginia only, but eventually spreading into North Carolina and a few additional markets.

What Gary Says

Nose: Spicy dark fruit, stewed dates, figs, plums, raisins, cocoa, molasses, hints of tart cherries, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: Sweet yet a tad sharp with vanilla, milk chocolate, dry nutty port note; bit of water tamps down the sharp edge while amping up the chocolate, nuttiness.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with a slight pepper note.
Comments: The port finish is more prominent on the nose than on the palate, but not overdone in the least. I’m a fan of port-finished whiskey in general (see my favorite bottle I bought in Ireland), and am glad to see more of it happening here in the States.  Of course Angel’s Envy was/is the big label in this niche.  How does this compare to that?  To be fair – I can’t really say, as I don’t have a bottle of Angel’s Envy handy.  I know I enjoy both, and this is a few extra proof points higher (and $10 less).  I’d suggest that if you like Angel’s Envy and port finished whiskies, you’d enjoy this as well (and I’d consider it a ‘Must Try’).  And if you hadn’t tried that yet in part because of the price – here’s a slightly less expensive means to see what you think about bourbon finished in port.

Rating: Stands Out

Parker’s Heritage Collection 12th Edition: Bourbon Finished in Orange Curaçao Barrels

55% ABV
$90
Website

What the Distiller Says

Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the 2018 limited-edition release of Parker’s Heritage Collection, which is comprised of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in orange curaçao barrels. This is the 12th edition of the collection and the second time Heaven Hill has partnered with Master Blender Alain Royer to create a barrel-finished offering.

As the second barrel finished edition of the series, this edition continues to pave the way for innovation at Heaven Hill Distillery. This 7 to 8-year-old Bourbon has been aged in the upper floors of Rickhouse Q and finished for four months in barrels that previously aged French orange curaçao liqueur. It is bottled without chill filtration at 110 proof.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Pepper, dried fruit, oak and vanilla
Taste: Spicy citrus, nutmeg, caramel & hints of honey
Finish: Strong, top of mouth, silky, toasted toffee

The past five editions of Parker’s Heritage Collection have raised more than $1 million toward ALS research and patient care.

Heaven Hill will continue this legacy and contribute a portion of proceeds from each bottle sold of this year’s release to the ALS Association.

With every past edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection quickly selling out, the company expects to generate a significant amount of money for ALS research in Parker’s memory.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Orange gummy candies, oak, bright vanilla and honey.
Palate:  Vanilla and orange cream, sharpening with a pepper spice , oak and orange bitters note
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with fading orange bitters.
Comments:  To start with, I’m not “anti-finish” when it comes to bourbon.  I get the view from purists that the definition of bourbon means no adding flavor, which certainly happens when you finish in a cask that held some other spirit.  But as long as someone is transparent around “This is bourbon that we’re finishing in something else” – I think it is great for the category and opens up a lot of innovative possibilities.  All that said, this particular offering struck me as ‘over-finished’.  When I initially nosed it, I wouldn’t have called it out as bourbon necessarily.  On the palate, it is more nuanced, and while you can’t miss the orange, it isn’t as overpowering.  But on the nose it really dominated for me, which was disappointing.  All that said, it isn’t off-putting in any way, and I enjoyed sipping it.  I found it drinks incredibly easily for 110 proof (I’d have guessed this to be under 100 proof).

Rating: Stands Out