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Sure, Kentucky is the American bourbon capital, but that doesn’t mean Southern neighbors need to stand still while Bluegrass State denizens send spirits coursing through copper stills. Virginia produces a number of American whiskeys, and several bottles are available at Comfort, chef Jason Alley’s elevated meat-and-three in downtown Richmond. That’s where he poured me Bowman Brothers, a small batch Virginia whiskey that honors the passing of American Revolutionaries John, Abraham, Joseph and Isaac Bowman.
A. Smith Bowman Distillery dates to 1927, relocated from Sunset Hills to Fredericksburg in 1988, and produces the spirit, which distills three times in a copper pot still and rests in oak barrels for four years. A smooth sipping, amber-hued spirit is the result, with good legs and a liquid that delivers bourbon’s classic vanilla notes. A glass of the 90-proof spirit, served neat, sells for $17 at Comfort. Master distiller Truman Cox passed away in early 2013, but hopefully A. Smith Bowman is able to persevere.
