Buffalo Trace’s Sister Distillery A. Smith Bowman Dropped Its First Rye Whiskey in 16 Years
Buffalo Trace gets all the attention, but the Kentucky distillery has a sister operation in Virginia that also makes some truly fantastic whiskey. A. Smith Bowman , which claims to be Virginia's oldest continually operating distillery, just released its first rye whiskey in 16 years, and based on the stats alone this sounds like something that American whiskey fans are going to want to try.
The whiskey in question, part of the Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Collection, is called Abraham Bowman Special Release #26, and it's said to be inspired by the 2010 release of the Abraham Bowman Limited Edition rye whiskey. There are, however, some crucial differences between the two. That first rye whiskey was aged for about nine years and bottled at 90 proof, pretty typical stats for a rye whiskey (like other Buffalo Trace –affiliated whiskeys, the mashbill is not revealed). The new Special Release #26 rye is older and stronger than that last rye—it's 11 years old (distilled in 2015 and aged in the distillery's Warehouse A), and bottled at a much higher 110 proof.
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"Every Abraham Bowman Limited Edition release is an opportunity to ask new questions and explore new processes for making whiskey," said A. Smith Bowman Distillery master distiller David Bock in a statement. "With this release, we wanted to continue our pursuit of the perfect rye mashbill. By allowing this whiskey to age for over a decade and bottling it at a higher proof, we were able to deepen our understanding of how these elements shape the character of a rye whiskey. The result is a whiskey that is both expressive and balanced, showcasing the complexity rye can offer."
As for why A. Smith Bowman has not released a rye whiskey since 2010, according to Bock it was just waiting for the right time. "We're proud that the very first release in our Limited-Edition Collection spotlighted rye whiskey," he told Robb Report. "That release helped set the tone for the kind of experimentation we wanted to explore. Revisiting rye 16 years later felt like the right moment to build on our experimentation and apply everything we've learned to create something new and distinctive."
In the meantime, the distillery has been putting out fantastic whiskeys, including some very high-proof cask-strength bourbons, and editions of its impressive Oak Series, which includes the standout Hungarian Oak expression (the third and final release in the series). Some of the whiskey that A. Smith Bowman releases is actually distilled at Buffalo Trace or another Sazerac-owned distillery first, and then shipped to Virginia as a new make spirit to be redistilled and matured there. This whiskey, however, was both distilled and aged onsite in Virginia.
We haven't been able to try the new Abraham Bowman Special Release #26 Rye Whiskey, but the official tasting notes describe vanilla, apricot, orange zest, and subtle earthy undertones on the palate, followed by a spicy finish with notes of black pepper and a hint of mint. If you want to get a bottle to try for yourself, you can enter an online lottery from May 4 to May 11 for a chance to purchase one (SRP is $80, and you must pick up bottles in person at the distillery by May 31).
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