A. Smith Bowman, Proof That Virginia Is For Whiskey Lovers

Calling On The Preservationist Of Old Dominion Bourbon

By Douglas Fraser

Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia is an institution that carries on a pre-Prohibition tradition. It’s a survivor of the whiskey bust of the 1970s, one of just two whiskey-making distilleries outside Kentucky and Tennessee that made it into the modern era. That distillery is A. Smith Bowman, which stood for decades as the last bastion of Virginia bourbon.

Following Prohibition, one Abram Smith Bowman purchased 7,200 acres of land in what is now Reston, in Northern Virginia. There was something fitting about Bowman settling in Virginia; he was born in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1868, descended from one of the earliest settler families in the state, settlers who came over the mountains from the Old Dominion. Bowman has been in the liquor business before Prohibition, and after liquor was re-legalized he decided to construct a distillery in 1934, at first relying on grain grown on his own farm to make spirits in what was the first legal, post-Prohibition distillery in Virginia.

Bowman died in 1981. In 1988, the distillery moved itself due to the Bowman family selling off acreage, giving way to the swelling urbanization of the DC metro area. The distillery is now located just outside Fredericksburg, best known for the Civil War battle, operating in an old FMC Corporation cellophane plant. By the mid-1990s, the whiskey industry in America had contracted down to just Kentucky, Tennessee, what we now call MGP in Indiana, a few new start-ups like Old Potrero, and Bowman. The distillery was bought by Sazerac in 2003.

I was invited to tour the distillery by A Smith Bowman’s team, and happy to accept. Upon arrival, I observed the distillery is housed in old-fashioned brick-built building of the type used for light industry or warehousing. I needed to comply with the current COVID procedures, wearing a mask, temperature check, etc., the things that now attend everyday life.

I was first met by tour guides Ken Eyer and David Sweet who checked me in and showed me around the gift shop. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt came out to begin the tour of the distillery. Brian has been with A. Smith Bowman for several years now, following the passing of his predecessor, Truman Cox, in 2013. Brian has over 20 years of experience beginning his career in Colorado as a brewer, then working in California at a winery, before finally arriving at A. Smith Bowman. He has always wanted to take the next step in his career striving to push limits and boundaries. Because of this, he is dedicated to experimenting and discovering new expressions, believing the perfect whiskey has yet to be found. Brian told me that it is an artistic passion for him, always striving to “paint a picture to tell a story.”

The tour started with a brief summary of the rich history of the Bowman family. Brian then took me to what he calls his “playground.” This is of course the fermentation and distilling room. Currently the distillery is operating two stills, one named Mary, a 2,000-gallon copper pot still of a unique and antique design that is used for their whiskey production, a leftover from the original Reston plant that remains in use today.

The other still is named George. This still is used for their experimental projects and other, non-whiskey spirits. Interestingly, A Smith Bowman triple distills their spirits and it is rumored that the mash bill is sent from Buffalo Trace (also owned by Sazerac) that is very similar to the Blanton’s mash bill. This interconnection wouldn’t be surprising, because Bowman lost their mashing and fermenting capability after their move from Reston. For decades, they relied on half-made spirit made at Buffalo Trace and brought to Virginia in tankers, which was then completed using Bowman’s own still.

The room also contains an approximately 6,100 gallons Solera tank, made of charred white oak and which has never been fully emptied. This is used for their Isaac Bowman Port Finish Bourbon.

I then toured the four warehouses. Out of the four, one is used for cooperage and storage and the other three are used for maturation of their spirits. Some of the cooperage is original from the first distillery. The other warehouses are climate-controlled, never letting the temperature drop below 50F. A. Smith Bowman relies on standard 53-gallon barrels for the most part, with 3 1/2 to 4 level charring. However, some of their experiments are maturing in French oak, Mizunara oak, ex-Port casks, along with a few others. Storage at Bowman is palletized, departing from the tradition American rickhouse system.

After the warehouses Brian showed me their new bottling area with state-of-the-art technology for botting their products. The bottling was formerly done by hand, but it was becoming too difficult for the small amount of personnel. Their new bottling technology can label, fill, cork, and laser sketch the bottle. They have also made changes in the visitor area where visitors can have a wee drink while watching it in operation.

After the tour we ended back at the gift shop where Brian gave me a tasting of their core line and special release expressions. We started with the George Bowman Rum, which is actually produced in the Caribbean, not at the distillery. We then moved on to the whiskey which included the Bowman Brothers Small Batch, Isaac Bowman Port Finish, and John J. Bowman Single Barrel. All three were good, but the port finish and the single barrel really stood out to me as higher quality whiskies.

Brian also pulled out their award-winning Abraham Bowman limited releases. I tasted the 2018 Sweet XVI expression. It exceeded all my expectations as it was superb! We finished with the Caramel Bourbon Cream which was more of a dessert and a good mixer with coffee or root beer. The gift shop was also full of other great products such as home furnishings, candles, souvenirs, and of course bottles to purchase.

Overall, I had a wonderful time touring the distillery and meeting the team. As I’ve said before the A Smith Bowman team were all very friendly and professional which creates a welcoming atmosphere that all whiskey lovers and non-lovers can enjoy. I ended up buying a few bottles on my way out, and look forward to what they have planned for us in the future.