The A. Smith Bowman Distillery has multiple lines, each named for a Bowman family member and featuring a different style of their bourbon. The Abraham Bowman line, however, is for experimental releases - see more about this in my review of the Abraham Bowman Gingerbread Stout #2 Release.

That release…didn’t live up to expectations. It was overwhelmed and underwhelmed by the stout finish. This one, though, is all about the bourbon.

This is release #5 from A. Smith Bowman:

“Our Last Millennium Bourbon Whiskey was released in 2013 and embodies a sweet and inviting taste of caramel, honey, and maple syrup. It is composed of a 16-year-old bourbon distilled in 1997 and 14-year-old bourbon distilled in 1999 — hence the name Last Millennium!”

I got to try this at Sanford’s Astoria (Long Island City, NY). I never thought I’d see it, let alone try it. And, to be honest, there’s still a bit of me that’s in FOMO stage about missing the latest cask strength Abraham Bowman releases. As you can see, though, there’s still a bit left in the bottle.

Read through my notes, see if you want to try it, then somebody please finish it off! Here’s to 2022!

Abraham Bowman Last Millennium Bourbon Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery/A. Smith Bowman Distillery

Mashbill: Undisclosed Buffalo Trace #1 Bourbon Mashbill

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: 14 Years Old

Location: Virginia

Abraham Bowman Last Millennium Bourbon Whiskey Price: N/A

Official Website

Abraham Bowman Last Millennium Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Dark, dark maple syrup. Medium-thick rims and slow, medium droplets.

Nose: Ooh - fruity! Mixed berry jam and tons of vanilla. Deep, classic bourbon flavors. Hints of green peanuts behind the fruit, with a pleasant proof and oak hit. Herbal rye notes in the background.

Palate: Just as fruity, but much more proof-forward on the front of my tongue. Quite peppery and whole clove-studded-cherries in semisweet chocolate. Mouthfeel opens up on oak astringency, lightening the pepper and bringing out more diverse spices. Full-bodied after starting off silky and medium-bodied, growing in heft as it becomes coating.

Finish: Mint joins the fun, like chewing on a fresh leaf. The coating mouthfeel just keeps going as vanillins come forward again.

Overall: The fruit dies off slowly as the older bourbon notes take over. This is intriguing, at once bringing classic bourbon flavors and also a different expression than anything I’ve had recently. It’s like taking the characteristics of dusty bourbon bottles and applying them to a 14-16-year-old bourbon from the 90s. Oak is a second star in this play, staying peppery and astringent without ever becoming woody.

Final Rating: 7.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)