Abraham Bowman French Oak Series Lottery Win

Some people have all the luck. In this case, "some people" is my wife. A couple of months ago she had a winning entry in the A. Smith Bowman lottery for the "opportunity to purchase" a bottle of the distillery's new Limited Edition Abraham Bowman French Oak Whiskey. Fortunately, her luck is my luck by extension. 

From the A. Smith Bowman website:

The Abraham Bowman collection of experimental, limited-edition whiskies began in 2010 with the release of Abraham Bowman Rye Whiskey. Since, A. Smith Bowman Distillery has released 22 experiments that have challenged whiskey-making methodologies and captivated fans.

Recently, ASB has put a specific focus on exploring oak varietals with its latest collection, The Abraham Bowman Oak Series. For the series inaugural release, the experimental distillery is sharing its take on whiskey aged in French Oak barrels. This is the first of multiple releases that explores oak varietals and its impact on American whiskey maturation.

The distillate for this release was aged for 12 years in a combination of both charred and no-char French Oak barrels before blending and bottling in April of this year. Due to the use of barrels without char, this whiskey cannot be called a bourbon, instead is classified as American Whiskey.

The aroma from the glass is rich with vanilla, caramel, and fall-like spices of nutmeg and cinnamon. Bottled at a moderate 100 proof,  I can detect no alcohol on the nose. Sipping releases a delightful blend of candied cherries, vanilla, and toffee. There's a mild warmth going down. The flavors are long-lingering, with a mild char note mixed in with sweet cherry, vanilla, and spice.

Abraham Bowman French Oak Whiskey is an exciting drink. We'll be reserved in how often we pour from this bottle, likely saving it for special occasions. That said, I also don't see the bottle lasting a long time on our shelves. I know some local restaurants also managed to snag bottles. I wouldn't be opposed to paying for pours when I'm out either.

The whiskey was paired with an old favorite, the Rocky Patel Disciple. This time in a 6 x 50 Toro. The cigar is wrapped in a milk chocolate-colored San Andrés leaf. The binder and filler tobaccos are from Nicaragua. The medium to full bodied, richly flavored smoke with notes of espresso and cocoa. A bit of black pepper and raisons come in to play as the cigar progresses. I had nearly a two hour flawless smoke from the well-aged stick. The cigar's coffee and pepper note complimented the Abraham Bowman French Oak whiskey perfectly. 

Cheers!