Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 94 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Virginia United States |
| ABV | 67.5% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $79.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-12-03 |
Abraham Bowman Oak Series American Oak Review
Virginia-based A. Smith Bowman distillery has a history dating back to 1935. These days, it’s perhaps best known as a fan favorite in the Sazerac portfolio of distilleries, churning out cult favorite American whiskeys with an occasional curveball thrown in for good measure. And Bowman stands out for a production quirk rare in today’s industry. The whiskey’s first distillation is completed at another Sazerac distillery (signs often point to sister distillery Buffalo Trace, though that’s unconfirmed), then those “low wines” undergo a second distillation at the Virginia facility.
In 2024, Bowman began leaning into offbeat and one-off experiments with different cask types, transitioning (at least temporarily) its Oak Series to a semi-experimental line. That shift launched with Abraham Bowman French Oak, a highly limited release that I earmarked as one of the Spring’s best new whiskeys.
This December, Bowman is back with the second experimental Oak Series release, this time focused on classic American white oak. While the French Oak release featured liquid aged across both charred and uncharred barrels, American Oak was aged for 12+ years in charred wood; it can thus be labeled a straight bourbon whiskey.
While the final release is bottled at a hardy 135 proof, it’s actually a bit below cask strength. Head distiller David Bock and his team decided on the final proof after finding some dilution led to better balance in the blend.
Let’s see how it tastes!
Abraham Bowman Oak Series American Oak: Stats and Availability
The good news first: for a 12 year bourbon, Abraham Bowman American Oak carries a very reasonable MSRP of right around $80. Here’s the catch: This is a highly limited run, and while we don’t have an exact bottle count for American Oak, the French Oak release numbered just 2,000 bottles. This series is available exclusively for purchase through Bowman’s online lottery, which ran from Nov. 25 through Dec. 2. Nationwide entrants are welcome, but winners must pick up their bottle in person by Dec 22.
Abraham Bowman Oak Series American Oak Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Fruity and decadent on the early nose, this newest Oak Series release brings mixed berries and oak in roughly equal proportions. Candied strawberries, smashed blackberries, and cranberry sauce pair with small amounts of butter-rich shortbread (fruit tart, anyone?) and birthday cake frosting.
Those aromas come just before a heaped helping of toasted wood and barrel char, the oak building over time and eventually taking the reins for the rest of the nosing experience. Tannin-laden sweet notes evolve even further here — freshly-scraped vanilla and dark sauce-pot caramel chief among them. Little hits of furniture polish, dried tobacco, and pine sap lend a thread of astringency that helps cut what would otherwise be perhaps too sweet a nose (particularly given the aforementioned frosting/icing element).
It’s a bourbon that smells its age without slipping into a tannic soup. This is a release meant to highlight the impact of wood, and on the nose, Abraham Bowman American Oak certainly succeeds.
Taste
A first sip is rich in caramel, cinnamon, oak, and red fruit — in that order. The robust proof doesn’t truly hit until a second taste, and here, the high ABV pushes that cinnamon flavor past caramel in the queue and well into holiday spice territory. Fruit builds as we approach the midpalate, with a particularly strong taste of sweetened dried cranberries, along with strawberry candy and cherry cough drops.
The interplay between spice and fruit is interesting enough that, for a brief moment, the oak almost becomes an afterthought. But in reality, it’s fully present and accounted for, lending some leathery tannins in addition to dark toffee, baking chocolate, mocha, and coffee syrup. A medium-thick mouthfeel lends a little perceived creaminess throughout. (Fans of the Rhode Island delicacy coffee milk will find a lot to love here.)
In contrast with a fruity start, the back palate leans into light astringency, particularly dried tobacco. I did try it with some dilution — bolstering the chocolate flavors — but generally preferred the whiskey at the same 135 proof Bock and his team landed on.
Finish
Espresso bridges the back palate and finish and leads the final act. Fruit returns very briefly via a pop of black cherry, though it’s largely coffee and oak to wrap things up on a lengthy and satisfying finish.
Abraham Bowman Oak Series American Oak Rating
94/100
Recap
Bourbon nerds, take note: The first two releases from A. Smith Bowman’s new-look Oak Series are both fantastic. While American Oak doesn’t quite hit some of the funky highs as French Oak, it’s still an exceptional whiskey, rich in classic bourbon flavors with enough pizzazz to stand out from the crowd. For an East Coaster like me, it’s certainly worth the lottery entry — and in the case of a lucky draw, perhaps even a day trip down to Virginia.
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