Abraham Bowman #10-Vanilla Bean Flavored

[VAGentleman]

The latest Abraham Bowman is now out. It’s a 7 year old bourbon that had Madagascar vanilla beans chopped up and added to the barrels. Different amounts were added to different barrels and they stayed in them for two years. They married all 7 barrels together and bottled it at 90 proof. It was chill filtered as they had to make sure to get the vanilla beans out.

First off this is definitely not a Red Stagg or JD Honey. It’s a bourbon and tastes like it. The nose has some nice spices in it with some vanilla coming through. It has a really thick mouthfeel that covers your tongue. The taste starts warm with a hint of vanilla that then shifts into a nice spicy bourbon flavor similar to Bowman Brothers. The long finish and aftertaste is where the vanilla comes back and you can feel the vanilla long after the finish. Its really quite good stuff. Perfect as a dessert bourbon.

Its $69 so you’ll have to decide if this experimental is worth it to you. It is for me

[squire]

Sounds yummy, Bourbon and vanilla are the base for my bread pudding sauce. Bourbon already flavored though would be too single purpose for my use.

[Richnimrod]

Sounds a bit pricey. Then again, if very-vanilla-forward bourbon is the comparison point, one could argue that PVFR is far pricier. I think I'll wait for more opinions to be posted though, at that price. Just MHO....

[squire]

How much does a bottle of high quality vanilla extract cost?

[jaycamm]

You can get a pint of good vanilla extract at Costco for like 8 bucks.

[tanstaafl2]

You can get a pint of good vanilla extract at Costco for like 8 bucks.

Edited December 1, 2014 by tanstaafl2

[squire]

You can get a pint of good vanilla extract at Costco for like 8 bucks.

[VAGentleman]

Sounds like an interesting experiment, although it seems similar to the new distilleries tying to speed up aging through their secret process. Not sure if simply adding vanilla extract can be anything close to steeping beans in barrels for two years. I would think the way the bourbon ages in the barrel and interacts with the wood and beans would be unique. I could be wrong though

[tanstaafl2]

Sounds like an interesting experiment, although it seems similar to the new distilleries tying to speed up aging through their secret process. Not sure if simply adding vanilla extract can be anything close to steeping beans in barrels for two years. I would think the way the bourbon ages in the barrel and interacts with the wood and beans would be unique. I could be wrong though

I would certainly be willing to give it a try. If I can find a bottle that is.

Apparently the Apple Cider finish was a local VA release only so didn't get that. Hopefully I will get a chance at this one.

[VAGentleman]

I would certainly be willing to give it a try. If I can find a bottle that is.

Apparently the Apple Cider finish was a local VA release only so didn't get that. Hopefully I will get a chance at this one.

The cider was only 3 barrels so it was VA only. This was 7 so is being distributed to other states, if they approved the new label that is. I was told some did and some didn't.

[Harry in WashDC]

You can get a pint of good vanilla extract at Costco for like 8 bucks.

Two thoughts -

Why would you want to mess up bourbon by putting vanilla extract in it?

Why not just drink the vanilla extract neat like we used to when we were kids?

[The Black Tot]

why not just drink the vanilla extract neat like we used to when we were kids?

Clear the baking aisle shelves!

[Paddy]

Two thoughts -

Why would you want to mess up bourbon by putting vanilla extract in it?

I wish to note my appreciation for the purists voice of reason. :thankyousign:

[mbroo5880i]

A lot of supermarket vanilla extracts are "imitation" vanilla. Why not buy the real thing? In fact, they make a bourbon pure vanilla extract. It doesn't really say if it is bourbon flavored or bourbon is part of the name. I guess adding "bourbon" to the name of anything infers quality. For example, bourbon crackers or bourbon candy. Doesn't have to contain bourbon but it sure sounds fancy. Interestingly, the price per ounce is similar to AB #10 - Vanilla Bean Flavored Bourbon. I know which I would prefer.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/madagascar-bourbon-vanilla-extract-8-oz?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Shopping&utm_keyword=Madagascar+Bourbon+Vanilla+Extract+8+oz.&gclid=CLbrz4H5qMICFchcMgodtAUA2w

Edited December 3, 2014 by mbroo5880i

[squire]

Bourbon vanilla beans are a type of vanilla bean just as Bourbon Santos is type of coffee bean. All of which begs the question which came first, the Bourbon or the bean.

[Paddy]

Bourbon vanilla beans are a type of vanilla bean just as Bourbon Santos is type of coffee bean. All of which begs the question which came first, the Bourbon or the bean.

Well I'm firmly in the 'there had to be a chicken to lay an egg club', but I'll probably need a few more drinks to address that one...:grin:

[Quantum]

I tried throwing a vanilla bean in some OGD 114. Not great by itself, but it makes an awesome old fashioned with some chocolate bitters.

[B.B. Babington]

... Why not just drink the vanilla extract neat like we used to when we were kids?

[danz]

Why not just drink the vanilla extract neat like we used to when we were kids?

It's too hot. Not good sipping at all. Haven't you licked the measuring spoon in the past few years to see if the flavor matches the great smell?

[garbanzobean]

I think you might have better results with the vanilla experiment if you threw half an actual vanilla bean (split longways) into the bourbon and let it soak for a week or more vs dumping vanilla extract into the bottle.

[jaycamm]

I've been making vanilla extract from bourbon and vanilla beans for years. It's too potent to sip on its own but I could easily blend some of it back in to some straight bourbon.

[Harry in WashDC]

Sounds like an interesting experiment, although it seems similar to the new distilleries tying to speed up aging through their secret process. Not sure if simply adding vanilla extract can be anything close to steeping beans in barrels for two years. I would think the way the bourbon ages in the barrel and interacts with the wood and beans would be unique. I could be wrong though

W/R/T the experiment of steeping beans vs. extract - several years ago, I did a SBS of Absolut Vanil (or whatever it was called), Absolut w/Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla added by me, and Absolut w/a split vanilla bean sitting in it. Sitting time was a month. The vanilla bean was undoubtedly richer and smoother, the extract after sitting was ok but nowhere near as good as the bean, the extract without sitting tasted like extract added to vodka, and the Absolut was ok but kind of chemically. Based on that unscientific test (like, I didn't measure how much essence leeched from the bean, etc.), I'd think steeping in barrels would be measurably better than just adding even a high-quality extract. I'll let you know what I think of the Abe Bowman when my bottle arrives at the ABC Store I frequent.

[squire]

Harry you had to post that didn't you, just as I've started eying the top shelf vanilla extracts at the grocery store.

[tanstaafl2]

Harry you had to post that didn't you, just as I've started eying the top shelf vanilla extracts at the grocery store.

Better before you buy than after...

[Harry in WashDC]

Well after a lunch of beef bologna sandwiches and macaroni and cheese (yeah, living in the fast lane) but before dinner, I opened an Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Vanilla Bean Flavored (90 proof). The lapse of time between eating and drinking was intentional so the food effect on the bourbon would be minimized. My bottle was distilled 16 Apr 2007 and bottled 3 Nov 2014. The label says it was vanilla infused for 24 months which means it spent around 5 years 7 months in its original barrel before being rebarreled with the vanilla bean(s) for two years. Remember, BT owns A Smith Bowman, Fredericksburg, VA, and BT supplies ASB with distillate which ASB redistills, barrels, bottles, and sells. The Abraham Bowman line is their limited edition, experimental line.

Upon opening and sniffing what was wafting from the bottle, I got a fruity, almost strawberry, aroma rather than the vanilla spice I was expecting, having sniffed more than my fair share of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract (35% alcohol). Poured about an ounce in a tasting glass. Incredible legs. In fact, I swirled it a couple times to watch them. Incredible. The aroma was still fruity, but neither vanilla nor strawberry stepped up - rather, I got a balanced blend of scents kind of like a good mince pie or a spice cake - nothing crowded out anything else.

First sip - warm with no dominant flavor; vanilla was not noticeable or at least did not step up; like with the first sniff of the glass before tasting, the scents were well balanced, but the underlying sweetness one expects from a fruit compote was absent. In other words, I got no candy apple sweetness with a hint of cinnamon which I expect from basic BT (which I like, BTW).

Second sip about five minutes later. Nose was slightly vanilla cream, but again the sweetness one expects from, say, a brandy alexander, was missing although the mouthfeel was reminiscent of a creamy drink - just not as sweet.

Third (and last) sip after another five minutes. Nice mellow, light (like a good custard, not like a candy) caramel taste and finish; the finish lasted awhile but still was a nice blend rather than a series of flavors popping out.

For those of us who like the occasional nontraditional offering, especially the Abraham Bowman LEs, this one is fine. I like it as much as I liked the Abe Bowman port finish and better than the ginger beer LE they did recently. Retail was $70 a 750ml at the Virginia ABC store I frequent the most (fixed price throughout the state, but I haven't checked in WashDC on availability or price); I had to special order, but the larger VA ABC stores in most Virginia cities likely have a bottle or so in stock. That's pretty pricy compared to some other finished bourbons and scotches available recently (circa $40-50 IIRC), but I was not disappointed with my purchase, and I knew what distillate they were using which I cannot say about some of the other finished products I tasted or seen offered. It's not an everyday bourbon, but I knew that when I bought it.