Hey there! Love your shows. Keep ‘em coming! As for your John J. Bowman Single Barrel… don’t be dishing our Fredericksburg distillery! Lol! It’s number one…. You can actually find this whiskey! The others? Maybe the Eagle Rare and Blanton when they decide to pull it out of the warehouse under the new ‘not telling you what we’re pulling out when and where limit one’ state policy. Still good luck getting one. The John J. Bowman… if nothing more just swing by the distillery, enjoy some tastings or a tour and tasting, and grab a bottle. Yeah… we’re proud of our Bowman Distillery. Can you tell? Thanks again for putting out informative videos. Always enjoy watching. Even when dishing!
Just bought this based on your underrated bourbon video. I’ve had the small batch which I liked so I was excited to try this one and I must say I was not disappointed. Paid 53$ in Los Angeles. Totally worth it. Absolutely reminds me of the buttery taste of rock hill farms but it’s even creamier. There is something in here on the first sip that I really really enjoy idk if it’s a candy apple flavor but it’s huge and it’s awesome lol. I feel like it drinks bigger than it’s 100 proof. I haven’t had blantons in awhile but I don’t remember liking it this much. This is a great buy IMHO, not sure if I like it as much as say wild turkey rare breed but this one is approaching that level of greatness territory for me. Great vid as always, cheers!😋
I was under the impression that this was re-distilled Buffalo Trace as well, but after touring the distillery and seeing their mash cooker and listening to them explain the process, it's actually made from start to finish in Virginia! They may use the same mashbills as Buffalo Trace though, I should've asked.
I visited the distillery in Fredericksburg when I ran the Marine half marathon. Free tour with free tastings at the end. Well worth the visit if your in the area
Just got a bottle of J Bowman and I think is a great bottle! I got the same vanilla, caramel and butterscotch then it has a little spice on the mouth. A solid bourbon! Now I have two solid bottles for weekdays J Bowman and Coopers Craft both at 100proof!
In the late 70's I worked for ATF (yeah, I'm old) and worked as a "government man" at distilleries. The most beautiful distillery I worked at was the A. Smith Bowman plant in Sunset Hills (Reston) Va. It was known for its beautiful land and the guinea fowl (similar to peacocks) that roamed the premises. It was inevitable that the plant had to relocate. The real estate value became astronomical.
Bowman single barrel is just quintessential bourbon its not ground breaking but when you want a bourbon that just ticks all the classic boxes this is a good option
Great taste test.... john J It's very hard to find it just came out with a limited edition single barrel...haven't seen it before or since the new limited edition
I know this is a bit late. But, you nailed it with the Blanton's. I'm actually pairing up the Bowman Brothers small batch and a store pick Blanton's. I opened up the Bowman and said that tastes like something I have. For me it was very close to my Blanton's.
Just visited the Bowman Distillery yesterday and after a tasting of their offerings, found the John J. Bowman Single Barrel #48 to my liking and wound up taking some home.
Great comparison. I'm loving the video series. Years ago, the first thing I ever posted on a bourbon forum was a question "What is the effect of the triple distillation between JJB and BT products?" I think it might be worth while to try JJB against EH Taylor small batch or Single barrel. Both are 100 proof and have a more honey sweet profile when compared to Eagle Rare and that trademark brooding cherry. EHT might make you consider that Bowman is in fact Mashbill 1. Although, I agree that Mashbill 2 is the likely culprit based on what I've tasted. Keep these coming.
Will do! thanks! Yeah I thought about adding EH Taylor as well. Given that the JJB is 9-10 years old I wanted to try something in that same range. But I will definitely do that comparison. thanks for watching!
@@TheMashandDrum I've been pointing folks to your videos for a while now. We have very overlapping preferences which helps. But you have a great balance of history, no nonsense tasting notes, and interesting discussions. Regarding JJB, I have been telling folks about it for years now. I honestly prefer it on many days to BT#2 bottles. Definitely a great alternative for those who can't find Blanton's Rock Hill etc. Keep it up.
Big Fan of Bowman, which makes sense since i love just about anything that Buffalo Trace puts out, been to the distiller several times and they are a good group of people there. Last year i Bought two of there just dumped barrels for Projects on my Bar and they were excited to see what i did with them. Any time someone can get a hold of the Abraham bottle series they should, interesting combinations.
Great review. The depth that you went into about the history and then the taste comparisons shut the other Buffalo Trace products. I jus bought the port finish and can't wait to try it. Thanks
I’ve passed on the Bowman Several times Jason, I love the butterscotch and Rockhill Farms, Gonna have to pick up the Bowman!! Great review my friend!! Cheers!!🥃
Hi there, great review thank you for sharing. Someone who knows more than me commented that Buffalo Trace doesn’t solely own mashbill # 2- that more than 50% is owned by investors from Japan…so I’m not sure if Bowman can be mash bill #2.
I blinded the port finish against Angel's Envy with my brother and his wife. I liked the port on the Bowman better but it had an awkward, almost bitter finish. AE by a nose.
The small batch is great, and here in VA you can always get it no problem. I had no idea they were a BT product though. Do they own freaking everything?
Any reviews of Bowman Brothers Small Batch? I'm finding it here in the DC area for $30 and it's not an allocated bottle like Buffalo Trace. Side by side it's hard to tell the difference...BT might have a slight edge but not by a great margin.
Well by me a lot of the Buffalo trace lovers think it is a tossup between rock Hill Farms or Blantons. They just decided to hit all the stores and buy all of these up. I guess they got tired of paying double or triple the price for rock Hill Farms. I got my bottle and can’t wait to give it a go.
Great review buddy!! I think the Bowman stacks up well against the Buffalo Trace lineup. I tried some the beginning of last year and was definitely a fan of it. Cheers buddy
Great bottle, but don't give the secret away, otherwise these $50 gems are going to be hard to find, like McKenna or even RHF. That said, I do wish bowman added some bourbon geek info to the bottle, such as dates, rick#, barrell#, etc.
Pricing on Buffalo Trace bottles are very inconsistent. But the MSRP for Blanton's is around 60 bucks...Rock hill Farms is also around that proce and Eagle Rare you can get for about 35 bucks but prices on Eagle Rare are creeping up too. Most buffalo Trace products in stores are upcharged due to popularity so if you find any of these at MSRP then its good to grab it of you can.
@TheMashandDrum MSRP what’s that 😂😂😂. I haven’t seen blantons for under 85 in a few years 😩. Saw some idiot buy a bottle for 135 at the famed Circus Liquor a few days ago when I picked up my first 53$ bottle of bowman single barrel. It’s funny I went in there to get their knob creek store pick (🔥🔥🔥btw). I had just watched your underrated bourbons video and saw this old dusty bottle of bowman single barrel and was like mine as well try this. For less than the price of that bottle of blantons I walked out with two delicious bottles. I was going to say something to him but I was like meh if he’s smart he’ll figure it out someday 😂😂😂😂. Cheers
Nice man. I think everything coming out from buffalo trace is wonderful stuff. Hard to understand why people say they’re running out of juice when they keep coming out with new stuff. Like the new Benchmark expressions expected to release this year. Cheers man 🥃
Blantons Gold and the JJ Bowman single barrel are virtually indistinguishable on the nose and palate. Actually the JJB for the bottles I have is better, more full flavored, less bite. 100 vs 103 proof is very close. Regular Blantons is not the right comparison due to proof.
Odd questio..ive got an unopened bottle of jim beam ducks unlimited bottle from 1979 with an age statement of 101 months...what shouldn i do with it? Is the juice inside still good? Always stored inside?? Thanks for the awesome content!
So that's about 8.5 years old. I would think the bourbon is still good. I would probably decant it in case there is any lead or off-flavors. If you don't want to drink it you could probably sell it. Alot of people are looking for the old decanters.
Yes Im a fan of the small batch. I know many who aren't. It does have that spicy note to it that makes it a bit less easy to sip than others at that price point. If you like a bourbon with a bit more bite to it then I would recommend it. If you like more of an easy sipper that doesn't bite back so much then I would pass.
Theres alot of great options other than Blanton's ...I think most offerings from old Forester do a great job with offering the oak and sweetness. Michters bourbon is another one I'd recommend. Elijah Craig barrel proof is a much higher proof but you can add some water and get some amazing sweetness and oak as well.
kinda wish you hadn't done this review, JJB is kinda of a hidden secret. I really like John J Bowman, normally better than Blanton's and Rock Hill Farm's, much more consistent even for a single barrel.
Fairly new to the bourbon game, but I really enjoy Woodford Double Oak. I was wondering if you could give me a few more bourbons that share that smooth oaky profile for roughly the same price.
I would say Old Forester 1910, Evan Williams Single Barre and Michter's US1 Bourbon. all are affordable and have a nice oak profile to them. Elijah Craig is another I would probably throw in the mix. cheers!
You know the rules and so do I. If you know about JJ Bowman, you don’t speak of JJ Bowman.
He was my 6th great grandfather
The first rule of J.J. Bowman is...
Yeah already can't find it ohio lmao
Discovered JJ when I was focusing on NC products, saw it and said thats next door. Loved it.
my nearby shop has them regularly. I'm buying 2 every pay until I get a dozen in case of the zombie apocalypse. lol
Wow! This is cool! The Bowmans are my ancestors!
Hey there! Love your shows. Keep ‘em coming! As for your John J. Bowman Single Barrel… don’t be dishing our Fredericksburg distillery! Lol! It’s number one…. You can actually find this whiskey! The others? Maybe the Eagle Rare and Blanton when they decide to pull it out of the warehouse under the new ‘not telling you what we’re pulling out when and where limit one’ state policy. Still good luck getting one. The John J. Bowman… if nothing more just swing by the distillery, enjoy some tastings or a tour and tasting, and grab a bottle. Yeah… we’re proud of our Bowman Distillery. Can you tell? Thanks again for putting out informative videos. Always enjoy watching. Even when dishing!
Just bought this based on your underrated bourbon video. I’ve had the small batch which I liked so I was excited to try this one and I must say I was not disappointed. Paid 53$ in Los Angeles. Totally worth it. Absolutely reminds me of the buttery taste of rock hill farms but it’s even creamier. There is something in here on the first sip that I really really enjoy idk if it’s a candy apple flavor but it’s huge and it’s awesome lol. I feel like it drinks bigger than it’s 100 proof. I haven’t had blantons in awhile but I don’t remember liking it this much. This is a great buy IMHO, not sure if I like it as much as say wild turkey rare breed but this one is approaching that level of greatness territory for me. Great vid as always, cheers!😋
Good review, my sentiments exactly!
I was under the impression that this was re-distilled Buffalo Trace as well, but after touring the distillery and seeing their mash cooker and listening to them explain the process, it's actually made from start to finish in Virginia! They may use the same mashbills as Buffalo Trace though, I should've asked.
Va native here. Thanks for your review.
I visited the distillery in Fredericksburg when I ran the Marine half marathon. Free tour with free tastings at the end. Well worth the visit if your in the area
Just a fantastic channel man. Thanks so much
I never considered this bourbon until your review. Recently bought a bottle and I love it. Thanks for the recommendation!
In VA, Bowman is harder to find than Buffalo Trace whiskies. I’ve been looking for 8 months and haven’t seen it anywhere.
It’s the opposite for where I am in VA
I love this bourbon!
I visited the distillery a few years ago. Beautiful place.
Regards from Cancún!
Cheers buddy! Cancun! Nice. A little jealous
I would love to go there. John J was my 6th great Grandfather.
Just got a bottle of J Bowman and I think is a great bottle! I got the same vanilla, caramel and butterscotch then it has a little spice on the mouth. A solid bourbon! Now I have two solid bottles for weekdays J Bowman and Coopers Craft both at 100proof!
In the late 70's I worked for ATF (yeah, I'm old) and worked as a "government man" at distilleries. The most beautiful distillery I worked at was the A. Smith Bowman plant in Sunset Hills (Reston) Va. It was known for its beautiful land and the guinea fowl (similar to peacocks) that roamed the premises. It was inevitable that the plant had to relocate. The real estate value became astronomical.
I had not considered the John J Bowman single barrel until this review. Thanks for the comparisons and the history. Always enjoy the history. Cheers!
Always Tim! Thanks for watching!
Bowman single barrel is just quintessential bourbon its not ground breaking but when you want a bourbon that just ticks all the classic boxes this is a good option
Great taste test.... john J It's very hard to find it just came out with a limited edition single barrel...haven't seen it before or since the new limited edition
I know this is a bit late. But, you nailed it with the Blanton's. I'm actually pairing up the Bowman Brothers small batch and a store pick Blanton's. I opened up the Bowman and said that tastes like something I have. For me it was very close to my Blanton's.
Just visited the Bowman Distillery yesterday and after a tasting of their offerings, found the John J. Bowman Single Barrel #48 to my liking and wound up taking some home.
Great comparison. Thank you. Will keep an eye out for it. We can’t find it in SD.
That is so cool about pot stills. I had never heard that before.
Great comparison. I'm loving the video series. Years ago, the first thing I ever posted on a bourbon forum was a question "What is the effect of the triple distillation between JJB and BT products?" I think it might be worth while to try JJB against EH Taylor small batch or Single barrel. Both are 100 proof and have a more honey sweet profile when compared to Eagle Rare and that trademark brooding cherry. EHT might make you consider that Bowman is in fact Mashbill 1. Although, I agree that Mashbill 2 is the likely culprit based on what I've tasted. Keep these coming.
Will do! thanks! Yeah I thought about adding EH Taylor as well. Given that the JJB is 9-10 years old I wanted to try something in that same range. But I will definitely do that comparison. thanks for watching!
@@TheMashandDrum I've been pointing folks to your videos for a while now. We have very overlapping preferences which helps. But you have a great balance of history, no nonsense tasting notes, and interesting discussions. Regarding JJB, I have been telling folks about it for years now. I honestly prefer it on many days to BT#2 bottles. Definitely a great alternative for those who can't find Blanton's Rock Hill etc. Keep it up.
Also, Bowman’s Cask Strength beats all of them, but you can’t get it. No date yet for the second release but maybe soon
Big Fan of Bowman, which makes sense since i love just about anything that Buffalo Trace puts out, been to the distiller several times and they are a good group of people there. Last year i Bought two of there just dumped barrels for Projects on my Bar and they were excited to see what i did with them. Any time someone can get a hold of the Abraham bottle series they should, interesting combinations.
I remember then mash was a sweet mash and sent to Fredericksburg from Beam by train.
Great review. The depth that you went into about the history and then the taste comparisons shut the other Buffalo Trace products. I jus bought the port finish and can't wait to try it. Thanks
Don’t know how I missed this video. Couldn’t agree more with your bowman, Blantons and eagle rare comparison. Never had rock hill. Thanks.
Can't be a Blantons alternative if it's more difficult to find than Blantons. I wish it was more available in my area. It's delicious.
Great review! I love the John J. Bowman Single Barrel. It is all over MD and one of my daily drinkers.
I was surprised how balanced and delicious it was. I can see this being a daily drinker.
Came across this Whiskey about a year ago and it’s become my go to daily sipper if I want a 100 proof pour. The port finished juice is also good too.
You had a bottle of the port cask finish Isaac Bowman, was hoping you’d toss that in this mix as well.
Well done!
I’ve passed on the Bowman Several times Jason, I love the butterscotch and Rockhill Farms, Gonna have to pick up the Bowman!! Great review my friend!! Cheers!!🥃
Appreciate the comparison man. Never had anything from Virginia and will definitely pick one up, cheers!
Definitely give it a go!
Hi there, great review thank you for sharing.
Someone who knows more than me commented that Buffalo Trace doesn’t solely own mashbill # 2- that more than 50% is owned by investors from Japan…so I’m not sure if Bowman can be mash bill #2.
I get a lot of citrus on Blanton’s, reason I enjoy it so much, odd that you didn’t pick it up on that particular barrel.
Si, great content as always!
I've been meaning to set aside time to go to the Bowman distillery for several years now. Gotta do it now. Thanks for the review and compare!
Do it!! Its a fun time
I blinded the port finish against Angel's Envy with my brother and his wife. I liked the port on the Bowman better but it had an awkward, almost bitter finish. AE by a nose.
Thanks for the awesome insights into these spirits, Jason. You're the best!
I get smokey notes off of this stuff. Like mesquite. But it's a wonderful bourbon and thus far, probably my favorite. :) Good review!
The small batch is great, and here in VA you can always get it no problem.
I had no idea they were a BT product though. Do they own freaking everything?
Any reviews of Bowman Brothers Small Batch? I'm finding it here in the DC area for $30 and it's not an allocated bottle like Buffalo Trace.
Side by side it's hard to tell the difference...BT might have a slight edge but not by a great margin.
Well by me a lot of the Buffalo trace lovers think it is a tossup between rock Hill Farms or Blantons. They just decided to hit all the stores and buy all of these up. I guess they got tired of paying double or triple the price for rock Hill Farms. I got my bottle and can’t wait to give it a go.
Great review buddy!! I think the Bowman stacks up well against the Buffalo Trace lineup. I tried some the beginning of last year and was definitely a fan of it. Cheers buddy
Yeah was very surprised by it. Really enjoyed it.
Awesome review!!!!!
I read a reddit review that said eh Taylor single barrel was on par with the john j bowman single barrel, wish you would have done that one.
Great bottle, but don't give the secret away, otherwise these $50 gems are going to be hard to find, like McKenna or even RHF. That said, I do wish bowman added some bourbon geek info to the bottle, such as dates, rick#, barrell#, etc.
Liked the video, only thing give the pricing of other bottles would help. Thanks
Pricing on Buffalo Trace bottles are very inconsistent. But the MSRP for Blanton's is around 60 bucks...Rock hill Farms is also around that proce and Eagle Rare you can get for about 35 bucks but prices on Eagle Rare are creeping up too. Most buffalo Trace products in stores are upcharged due to popularity so if you find any of these at MSRP then its good to grab it of you can.
The Mash and Drum Thanks
@TheMashandDrum MSRP what’s that 😂😂😂. I haven’t seen blantons for under 85 in a few years 😩. Saw some idiot buy a bottle for 135 at the famed Circus Liquor a few days ago when I picked up my first 53$ bottle of bowman single barrel. It’s funny I went in there to get their knob creek store pick (🔥🔥🔥btw). I had just watched your underrated bourbons video and saw this old dusty bottle of bowman single barrel and was like mine as well try this. For less than the price of that bottle of blantons I walked out with two delicious bottles. I was going to say something to him but I was like meh if he’s smart he’ll figure it out someday 😂😂😂😂. Cheers
Another great episode packed with great information.
Love the JJ Bowman SiB, just wish I could get it in Ontario
I can see why. It's a great bourbon.
How about adding the price for each bottle in the comparisons.
Nice man. I think everything coming out from buffalo trace is wonderful stuff. Hard to understand why people say they’re running out of juice when they keep coming out with new stuff. Like the new Benchmark expressions expected to release this year. Cheers man 🥃
Yeah...I do like what A. bowman is doing with the distillate too!
what type of glasses were you using when you compared JJ Bowman to Blantons, RH Farms, ER?
Hi Jason, wondering who makes those stemmed whisky glasses you were using in this video?
Awesome review! I am about to do this tasting myself.
Throw eh Taylor in there too. Interesting stuff. Lol
The Mash and Drum will do sir!
Blantons Gold and the JJ Bowman single barrel are virtually indistinguishable on the nose and palate. Actually the JJB for the bottles I have is better, more full flavored, less bite. 100 vs 103 proof is very close. Regular Blantons is not the right comparison due to proof.
I live in VA and at the ABC store they are selling it at 60$.. way way overpriced.. you can get Russel 10 all day for just 40$
What was the dump date on the Blanton's?
Odd questio..ive got an unopened bottle of jim beam ducks unlimited bottle from 1979 with an age statement of 101 months...what shouldn i do with it? Is the juice inside still good? Always stored inside?? Thanks for the awesome content!
So that's about 8.5 years old. I would think the bourbon is still good. I would probably decant it in case there is any lead or off-flavors. If you don't want to drink it you could probably sell it. Alot of people are looking for the old decanters.
Any thoughts on their Bowman Brothers?
Yes Im a fan of the small batch. I know many who aren't. It does have that spicy note to it that makes it a bit less easy to sip than others at that price point. If you like a bourbon with a bit more bite to it then I would recommend it. If you like more of an easy sipper that doesn't bite back so much then I would pass.
I think it taste like Elmer T Lee
I will have to compare...But that still is a good indicator this is mashbill 2. Thanks for watching Cory!
Yep there is no way Bowman's isn't the #2 mashbill.
JASON, ALWAYS LIKE YOUR REVIEWS! SO I CANT GET BLANTONS HERE WITH OUT PAYING OVER A HUNDRED BUCKS WHATS DO YOU SUGGEST AS A CLOSE SUBSTITUTE?
Theres alot of great options other than Blanton's ...I think most offerings from old Forester do a great job with offering the oak and sweetness. Michters bourbon is another one I'd recommend. Elijah Craig barrel proof is a much higher proof but you can add some water and get some amazing sweetness and oak as well.
FWIW, I find the Isaac Bowman port finished to be really close. Just me
@@stephendrum3182 close to Blanton's?
The Mash and Drum for me it was. I picked it blind over Blantons as well. Not necessarily My favorite bottle of Blantons
Rest in Peace Grandpa John Jacob Bowman!
kinda wish you hadn't done this review, JJB is kinda of a hidden secret. I really like John J Bowman, normally better than Blanton's and Rock Hill Farm's, much more consistent even for a single barrel.
Fairly new to the bourbon game, but I really enjoy Woodford Double Oak. I was wondering if you could give me a few more bourbons that share that smooth oaky profile for roughly the same price.
I would say Old Forester 1910, Evan Williams Single Barre and Michter's US1 Bourbon. all are affordable and have a nice oak profile to them. Elijah Craig is another I would probably throw in the mix. cheers!
@@TheMashandDrum
Thx Jason! Keep up the great reviews. Cheers!
Seems to me them re-distilling it does nothing but allows them to call it virginia straight bourbon
Funny that every time you posted something it runs out in Ohio
I don’t drink hard alcohol. Why am I watching this? Lol.
I’ll stick to Kentucky Bourbons
Well technically it is Kentucky bourbon except for the extra distillation in Virginia.
The Mash and Drum I stand corrected!
I have been drinking whiskey for months now. And cant still pick out no smells of flavors. Just alcohol smell and taste.
All practice. Look into a whiskey sensory kit to help you. Helped me alot.
@@TheMashandDrum awesome tanks. I tried Saturday knob creek single batch 100 proof. Strong stuff man.
@@BadWeatherfreak yeah it can be at first. Try Michters bourbon. Lower proof and great flavor.
@@TheMashandDrum any in particular?
@@BadWeatherfreak just the regular Michters small batch bourbon.