This is a comparison I've been waiting on for a while. Most compare Bowman to Blanton's because of the Single Barrel. But as you note, the specs (mash, proof, price) align better with The Colonel. I hadn't seen anyone on WhiskeyTube make this specific comparison. So glad you had it in the sample pool. Thanks!
When you guys started your tasting I was chanting "Bowman, bowman, bowman" I've moved into the anti allocated camp as of late so any time a more available non secondary listed bottle goes up against an allocated I'm always pulling for the underdog! I also notice so many folks have the same feeling about most of the allocated...it's decent, not bad but not worth anything but retail or lower.
Bowman is one of the best bourbons for their price. Their rum is also great. We keep a bottle of this on our shelf. Fantastic for an Old Fashioned. You guys are awesome. I love how you guys have evolved on your journey into whiskey. Keep up the great videos!
We just got the Bowman Small Batch up here in Alaska last year. At $35 I grabbed a backup I'd like to see more of their labels come up here. Also, I wait for Costco to get the EHT then I can get it for $33...If I can get it. However, when my Taylor is gone I'll replace it up to about $55 retail in my market.
This is crazy. I bought a bottle of John J Bowman last week in Kentucky and opened it today. I tasted it against Blantons and EH Taylor small batch about an hour ago with a couple of friends. I think Bowman tasted more like Taylor than Blantons. My friends felt the same way on the taste. Ironically I am a big Buffalo Trace fan and do hunt them, but I am losing interest in Blantons and EH Taylor because they are getting harder to find and pricing is getting ridiculous. I was able to purchase EH Taylor at Buffalo Trace Distillery last week for $43. I’ve never found John J Bowman in the Nashville area, but I’m glad I finally found a bottle in KY for $50. Great review and just confirms my pallet is getting better, or at least similar to y’all’s.
Cheers to that find, Ricky. Taylor at $43 is a great price and we’d keep one around for that, and we do prefer both of these to Blanton’s as you noted.
EH Taylor is impossible to find in NC. Bowman brothers products are easy to find. Bowman products are good bang for the buck. Bowman Brothers small batch is also excellent at $40 !!
Agreed. And we get Bowman Brothers SmB for $27 here. We have a bottle we’ll be putting head-to-head against Buffalo Trace. It compares very well in our opinion but we’ll see what we think when it pops up double blind.
Y’all hurt me on this one. I’m an EHT Small Batch fan. I get the dislike for allocated items but when you can get it for $42 after tax not sure there are many whiskies out there that can beat it. Appreciate the content, thank you!
We see why folks love it and for $42 out the door we’re a buy all day. We’re just not big on the overly sweet, simplistic profile of most Buffalo Trace products. That said, EH Taylor is one of the few that has a little more going on flavor-wise.
The EHTSB sells for around $120 in North Georgia, and was around the same price last year. I can usually find it here because of the high markup. It’s harder to find John J here, but it’s usually around $50-$55. I never buy EHT unless I win the opportunity at a lottery. Neither did I buy the JJB at $70, the one time I saw it marked up.
SO I haven’t done blind tastings but i did overpay for my first bottle of EHT Small batch. However i really do like what’s in it. Classic bourbon, nice proof, i always get a cherry sweetness in it. I probably wont pay the 70 for it again but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts!
Late night watch after Matt Madness (well done, Josh!)…no idea on JJB, but y’all did cause me to go and slide my EHTSB bottle out of its tubey-thingee…which I dig.
I have an EH Taylor Small batch that I paid $99 for, kinda... It was part of a basket offered at a tasting at a Rouses grocery store. The basket included a bottle of wine, vodka, 3 alcohol seltzers and two small testers of Makers Mark. On the flip side the tasting (which was free) included samples Van Winkle 10, Pappy 12, Stagg Jr. , Michter's 10 rye , and Thomas Handy rye. The wine and seltzers were given away to friends. All in all the experience was a great value. I finally got to try Stagg Jr - it was good but not secondary good. Thanks to you I'm doing good fighting the Fomo!
I picked up E H Taylor small batch back in January for $40 actually 37 because my Total Wine points. I was waiting to get cleared to return to work from Covid but most of the HR had Covid so I had extra days off and was able to cruise the isle on a day I would normally be at work.
@@stuffandwhiskey it’s pretty solid was not harsh at all on first pour. Now a couple a weeks into it that cherry note starting to hit a lil harder which is pretty much my favorite note palate wise when drinking bourbon. So their are probably bourbons that’s are ranked higher but if there’s no hint of cherry it’s downgrade off back for my palate.
Yeah, I bought the last bottle in my area during that honestly odd sale and haven't seen it since. I REALLY hope we'll see it back on the shelves soon.
I have bought 6 bottles of EH Taylor small batch in 2023 for $49.99 each. The 3 bottles of John J Bowman Single Barrels I have bought in 2023 were $45 each. Love them both. 🥃
So at the local Costco, they had EHT SB and I paid $39 for it. I've seen John J Bowman on the shelf but it keeps popping up as a pretty good pour so I may get that one to see.
That’s a very solid price on Taylor. If we could regularly get it for that, we’d keep one on the shelf. As is, we’re more than happy to have Four Roses SiB available for $40. Cheers and thanks for watching Ron!
Good to see people who are not into the chase for stuff like E. H. Taylor when there are other fine bourbons out there that taste better, are easier to find and aren't allocated. 🥃
JJB is now allocated at the ABCs where I live in NC, which is annoying; but I did score my first bottle of it this morning! :) Cracked it tonight and must say it was quite impressive for just $50.
I would prefer that you compare Bowman Brothers Small Batch with EH Taylor small batch instead of a single barrel vs a small batch. I pay $42 for EH Taylor and can get it easier than JJB since they don't sell JJB in the entire State of Florida. Currently have 9 bottles of JJB which were purchased in Ga and Tn.
I put in a lot of work hubting bourbon, so I find these two regularly, but I understand the hunt isn't for everyone! Personally, I find EHT to be worth the hunt. In blinds I have done, it has crushed.
local to va and can easily pick up jjb...i really luv this juice but never had blantons or eht so can't compare...i do think it is a step above bt and er.
Paid $175 for EH, haven't seen the ABSB. However, I only live about an hour away from distillery so a free tour is on the list for this summer. Haven't opened the EH yet, haven't had a $175 event since the purchase.
Definitely check out Bowman! They’re quite comparable to Buffalo Trace across the product range in our experience and a whole lot cheaper and easier to find given the markups and hype around Buffalo Trace.
I like doing head to head with JJ Bowman, ETL, RHF…pretty sure they are rumored to have the same Mash bill and Bowman is same proof as the RHF. And all are single barrels.
You all are hilarious with the dance moves. For me I’d buy either at retail because even if you don’t enjoy it you can always trade it to a buddy in your Bourbon FB group who will want it.
The question i have is if you can't find EHT SMB (which most of us cant find it) would you think Bowman is a solid replacement more readily available than the EHT?
Definitely. Different single barrels of Bowman will differ and different batches of EHT over time will differ, but on the whole they're VERY comparable in our experience.
We’ve had some single barrels that are great for sure. Our last one (not this bottle) came across very flat and disappointing though. Always a bummer when single barrel roulette doesn’t go your way.
Got both bottles. $50 for Bowman and $39 for ETHSB. Neither bottle wows me. Both are ok for their price, but in my state although you get ETH for retail of $39, you still have to search the internet before stores open and most often lineup in front of the store. Not exactly worth that too me
EH Taylor is sold one of three types of ways in our market. 1. You’re loyal to a shop on other products and get it $50. 2. You catch a “flash drop” by a local store for $50. 3. You find it on the shelf at a price-gouging store for $89-129. That’s just our market though. We won’t pay over $50 for it. Too many other good bottles on the shelf. Cheers and thanks for watching!
@@stuffandwhiskey Well, that does make sense. The store close to me is usually 10-15 dollars higher than most places, but he does have a good variety. I really enjoy y’all’s channel, although it has cost me a small fortune because I usually head to the liquor store after watching them, lol. Keep up the good work and I look forward to watching more.
Single barrels will differ, as will palates and preferences. That said, it’s worth blinding them to see what you think with the label removed from the equation, and at the end of the day our taste differences keep this fun and interesting. Cheers and thanks for watching Brendon!
They're wildly different flavor profiles. We're big Wild Turkey fans so we'd be all over the Russell's 13 but if you like the sweet Buffalo Trace profile and 100 proof point then EH Taylor is up your alley for sure.
Never gotten dark on taylor. To me its bright apple/cherry and a bit of oak. Not impressive but good. Never had john j bowman. Not available here. Im just kinda sick of buffalo trace. They just almost never wow me. Not that they are bad but for how hard they are to get for a good price they just dont have any of the depth and heft that i want.
While admittedly I have not tried every Buffalo Trace product, I have tried a good amount of them including most of the Pappy's line. The only product I will absolutely chase after would be Stagg Jr. Even over George T Stagg. The rest, sure I'd probably buy at retail if that was even an option, but other than that, meh.
@@red5standingby419 yeah i completely agree. Stagg jr under 80 and stagg sr under 150 are great pours but past that they are overshadowed by a lot of whats currently available.
Thinking the darkness was in comparison to Bowman. After taking some time to clear palates and start with Taylor, we got a more traditional experience. Funny how things back to back can influence each other. We’re with you on the lack of depth and heft in Buffalo Trace products, and we’re with Red5 on Stagg Jr being our favorite of their offerings by a long shot.
These are great videos, but 25-35% too long. I’d binge the ones i haven’t watched to catch up if they were all sub 15 minutes, but at 18-25 minutes I won’t. Cheers
Fair point, Chris. We choose to let folks see the whole process play out, which certainly doesn't lend itself to shorter videos, but in an attempt to help out we do include chapter markers in every video for folks that want to jump straight to the scores/recommendations/etc. It's also worth noting that this head-to-head was filmed quite a ways back too. We've since tightened up our filming and editing format, and 18 minutes is our target for all the head-to-heads we're releasing currently, at least without the blooper content (although we still miss from time to time if the conversation is flowing--such is the nature of unscripted, conversational content). We appreciate the critique and we appreciate you watching as well. Cheers!
This is a comparison I've been waiting on for a while. Most compare Bowman to Blanton's because of the Single Barrel. But as you note, the specs (mash, proof, price) align better with The Colonel. I hadn't seen anyone on WhiskeyTube make this specific comparison. So glad you had it in the sample pool. Thanks!
Blanton’s is definitely outclassed in flavor by both of these. Glad you enjoyed the matchup Eric. Cheers!
@@stuffandwhiskey Blanton's is so much hype... I finally got my hands on a bottle and was so disappointed
@@superman6338 unfortunately a lot of folks have that experience due to the hype.
@@stuffandwhiskey Oh, come on now... Let's not say John J. Bowman outclasses Blanton's!
We'll never find it again.
When you guys started your tasting I was chanting "Bowman, bowman, bowman" I've moved into the anti allocated camp as of late so any time a more available non secondary listed bottle goes up against an allocated I'm always pulling for the underdog! I also notice so many folks have the same feeling about most of the allocated...it's decent, not bad but not worth anything but retail or lower.
Especially when tasting blind, it doesn’t take long to figure out the hype isn’t warranted. Cheers Paul!
Bowman is allocated by me. But is more available than most.
JJB is allocated here too.
Where can I find JJB in North Georgia?
Bowman is one of the best bourbons for their price. Their rum is also great. We keep a bottle of this on our shelf. Fantastic for an Old Fashioned. You guys are awesome. I love how you guys have evolved on your journey into whiskey. Keep up the great videos!
Hold the phones. Their RUM? We gotta know more about this!
We just got the Bowman Small Batch up here in Alaska last year. At $35 I grabbed a backup I'd like to see more of their labels come up here. Also, I wait for Costco to get the EHT then I can get it for $33...If I can get it. However, when my Taylor is gone I'll replace it up to about $55 retail in my market.
This is crazy. I bought a bottle of John J Bowman last week in Kentucky and opened it today. I tasted it against Blantons and EH Taylor small batch about an hour ago with a couple of friends. I think Bowman tasted more like Taylor than Blantons. My friends felt the same way on the taste. Ironically I am a big Buffalo Trace fan and do hunt them, but I am losing interest in Blantons and EH Taylor because they are getting harder to find and pricing is getting ridiculous. I was able to purchase EH Taylor at Buffalo Trace Distillery last week for $43. I’ve never found John J Bowman in the Nashville area, but I’m glad I finally found a bottle in KY for $50. Great review and just confirms my pallet is getting better, or at least similar to y’all’s.
Cheers to that find, Ricky. Taylor at $43 is a great price and we’d keep one around for that, and we do prefer both of these to Blanton’s as you noted.
EH Taylor is impossible to find in NC. Bowman brothers products are easy to find. Bowman products are good bang for the buck. Bowman Brothers small batch is also excellent at $40 !!
Agreed. And we get Bowman Brothers SmB for $27 here. We have a bottle we’ll be putting head-to-head against Buffalo Trace. It compares very well in our opinion but we’ll see what we think when it pops up double blind.
@Stuff & Whiskey - The lowest here has been $33 ... Always under $40. Small batch for $27... All day long !! 🥃 Cheers !
Y’all hurt me on this one. I’m an EHT Small Batch fan. I get the dislike for allocated items but when you can get it for $42 after tax not sure there are many whiskies out there that can beat it. Appreciate the content, thank you!
We see why folks love it and for $42 out the door we’re a buy all day. We’re just not big on the overly sweet, simplistic profile of most Buffalo Trace products. That said, EH Taylor is one of the few that has a little more going on flavor-wise.
I have loved every 4R single barrel I've ever had.
Always had a bottle of JJB when I lived in Va, can’t get it in Ala, will get one when I ca find it though
The EHTSB sells for around $120 in North Georgia, and was around the same price last year. I can usually find it here because of the high markup. It’s harder to find John J here, but it’s usually around $50-$55. I never buy EHT unless I win the opportunity at a lottery. Neither did I buy the JJB at $70, the one time I saw it marked up.
Eh is only around $70 here in California and jonh b around $35
SO I haven’t done blind tastings but i did overpay for my first bottle of EHT Small batch. However i really do like what’s in it. Classic bourbon, nice proof, i always get a cherry sweetness in it. I probably wont pay the 70 for it again but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts!
Scored a second EHT Small Batch today for $49. I like it but agree it's not worth more than $50. Wild Turkey Rare Breed for that $
Rare Breed you say? A man after our own hearts. Cheers, Ben!
Late night watch after Matt Madness (well done, Josh!)…no idea on JJB, but y’all did cause me to go and slide my EHTSB bottle out of its tubey-thingee…which I dig.
Thanks David! The tubey-thingee is cool indeed. Taylor nails it with those!
I have an EH Taylor Small batch that I paid $99 for, kinda... It was part of a basket offered at a tasting at a Rouses grocery store. The basket included a bottle of wine, vodka, 3 alcohol seltzers and two small testers of Makers Mark. On the flip side the tasting (which was free) included samples Van Winkle 10, Pappy 12, Stagg Jr. , Michter's 10 rye , and Thomas Handy rye. The wine and seltzers were given away to friends. All in all the experience was a great value. I finally got to try Stagg Jr - it was good but not secondary good. Thanks to you I'm doing good fighting the Fomo!
I picked up E H Taylor small batch back in January for $40 actually 37 because my Total Wine points. I was waiting to get cleared to return to work from Covid but most of the HR had Covid so I had extra days off and was able to cruise the isle on a day I would normally be at work.
That’s a good score for a great price. Congrats man!
@@stuffandwhiskey I actually just opened it 2 weeks ago
@@tragic504 whatcha think about it?
@@stuffandwhiskey it’s pretty solid was not harsh at all on first pour. Now a couple a weeks into it that cherry note starting to hit a lil harder which is pretty much my favorite note palate wise when drinking bourbon. So their are probably bourbons that’s are ranked higher but if there’s no hint of cherry it’s downgrade off back for my palate.
John J Bowman was starting to be on the shelves again in VA but the ABC put it on sale for $40 and it's gone again.
Yeah, I bought the last bottle in my area during that honestly odd sale and haven't seen it since. I REALLY hope we'll see it back on the shelves soon.
I have bought 6 bottles of EH Taylor small batch in 2023 for $49.99 each. The 3 bottles of John J Bowman Single Barrels I have bought in 2023 were $45 each. Love them both. 🥃
Great review, both of these are hard to find in my area. But I would like to try EH Taylor..
Here’s to hoping you get that chance sometime soon. Cheers Michael!
So at the local Costco, they had EHT SB and I paid $39 for it. I've seen John J Bowman on the shelf but it keeps popping up as a pretty good pour so I may get that one to see.
That’s a very solid price on Taylor. If we could regularly get it for that, we’d keep one on the shelf. As is, we’re more than happy to have Four Roses SiB available for $40. Cheers and thanks for watching Ron!
All Bowman products are delicious and a staple on my shelf. 👍🏼
Thankfully I can get it easily.
Good to see people who are not into the chase for stuff like E. H. Taylor when there are other fine bourbons out there that taste better, are easier to find and aren't allocated. 🥃
JJB is now allocated at the ABCs where I live in NC, which is annoying; but I did score my first bottle of it this morning! :)
Cracked it tonight and must say it was quite impressive for just $50.
I would prefer that you compare Bowman Brothers Small Batch with EH Taylor small batch instead of a single barrel vs a small batch. I pay $42 for EH Taylor and can get it easier than JJB since they don't sell JJB in the entire State of Florida. Currently have 9 bottles of JJB which were purchased in Ga and Tn.
I put in a lot of work hubting bourbon, so I find these two regularly, but I understand the hunt isn't for everyone! Personally, I find EHT to be worth the hunt. In blinds I have done, it has crushed.
We’re glad hunting can be part of the hobby for those that love it, even if it isn’t for us. Cheers and thanks for watching YDB!
local to va and can easily pick up jjb...i really luv this juice but never had blantons or eht so can't compare...i do think it is a step above bt and er.
Definitely a step above. We definitely wish John J was more available here but Four Roses SiB for $10 less is our go-to for a sweet 100 proof sipper.
Paid $175 for EH, haven't seen the ABSB. However, I only live about an hour away from distillery so a free tour is on the list for this summer. Haven't opened the EH yet, haven't had a $175 event since the purchase.
Definitely check out Bowman! They’re quite comparable to Buffalo Trace across the product range in our experience and a whole lot cheaper and easier to find given the markups and hype around Buffalo Trace.
I like doing head to head with JJ Bowman, ETL, RHF…pretty sure they are rumored to have the same Mash bill and Bowman is same proof as the RHF. And all are single barrels.
I've got an EHT BiB I bought last year for $50. I've had a couple of others and like it very much. Don't think I've ever seen a Bowman.
You all are hilarious with the dance moves. For me I’d buy either at retail because even if you don’t enjoy it you can always trade it to a buddy in your Bourbon FB group who will want it.
That’s a solid point!
The question i have is if you can't find EHT SMB (which most of us cant find it) would you think Bowman is a solid replacement more readily available than the EHT?
Definitely. Different single barrels of Bowman will differ and different batches of EHT over time will differ, but on the whole they're VERY comparable in our experience.
Great showing on Matt Madness Josh! Puts you on the map as a 'professional' Whiskey taster :) You need to change your intro now!
Haha! You know us, we are NOT regular people. 😂 Thanks Mick! Looking forward to round two!
Been waiting for J.J. Bowman here in ID we have the Bowman Bros. it's ok not great, cheers
We’ve had some single barrels that are great for sure. Our last one (not this bottle) came across very flat and disappointing though. Always a bummer when single barrel roulette doesn’t go your way.
Got both bottles. $50 for Bowman and $39 for ETHSB. Neither bottle wows me. Both are ok for their price, but in my state although you get ETH for retail of $39, you still have to search the internet before stores open and most often lineup in front of the store. Not exactly worth that too me
That’s definitely a lot of trouble for what is just good, solid bourbon overall. Having it getable for $39 is nice though!
I love this channel!😍
Thanks so much!
Bowman’s is right in my backyard, it’s a good bourbon 😊
4s out of 10s ummm i highly question you're scoring system
It’s a bell curve based on the blind tasting, and we’ve since simplified the system in recent videos. Cheers and thanks for checking us out.
Where in the heck do you find E.H. Taylor for $50? Never seen it less than $79 if you can even find it.
EH Taylor is sold one of three types of ways in our market. 1. You’re loyal to a shop on other products and get it $50. 2. You catch a “flash drop” by a local store for $50. 3. You find it on the shelf at a price-gouging store for $89-129. That’s just our market though. We won’t pay over $50 for it. Too many other good bottles on the shelf. Cheers and thanks for watching!
@@stuffandwhiskey Well, that does make sense. The store close to me is usually 10-15 dollars higher than most places, but he does have a good variety. I really enjoy y’all’s channel, although it has cost me a small fortune because I usually head to the liquor store after watching them, lol. Keep up the good work and I look forward to watching more.
going incognito in a Jason Bourne movie
NICE JOB
Disagree! 21:10. My 4R single barrel isn’t as flavorful as my new Bowman
Single barrels will differ, as will palates and preferences. That said, it’s worth blinding them to see what you think with the label removed from the equation, and at the end of the day our taste differences keep this fun and interesting. Cheers and thanks for watching Brendon!
I just traded a Russell 13 for 3 bottles of EH SB. Pretty sure I made out on the deal.
They're wildly different flavor profiles. We're big Wild Turkey fans so we'd be all over the Russell's 13 but if you like the sweet Buffalo Trace profile and 100 proof point then EH Taylor is up your alley for sure.
Never gotten dark on taylor. To me its bright apple/cherry and a bit of oak. Not impressive but good. Never had john j bowman. Not available here. Im just kinda sick of buffalo trace. They just almost never wow me. Not that they are bad but for how hard they are to get for a good price they just dont have any of the depth and heft that i want.
While admittedly I have not tried every Buffalo Trace product, I have tried a good amount of them including most of the Pappy's line. The only product I will absolutely chase after would be Stagg Jr. Even over George T Stagg. The rest, sure I'd probably buy at retail if that was even an option, but other than that, meh.
@@red5standingby419 yeah i completely agree. Stagg jr under 80 and stagg sr under 150 are great pours but past that they are overshadowed by a lot of whats currently available.
Thinking the darkness was in comparison to Bowman. After taking some time to clear palates and start with Taylor, we got a more traditional experience. Funny how things back to back can influence each other. We’re with you on the lack of depth and heft in Buffalo Trace products, and we’re with Red5 on Stagg Jr being our favorite of their offerings by a long shot.
These are great videos, but 25-35% too long. I’d binge the ones i haven’t watched to catch up if they were all sub 15 minutes, but at 18-25 minutes I won’t. Cheers
Fair point, Chris. We choose to let folks see the whole process play out, which certainly doesn't lend itself to shorter videos, but in an attempt to help out we do include chapter markers in every video for folks that want to jump straight to the scores/recommendations/etc.
It's also worth noting that this head-to-head was filmed quite a ways back too. We've since tightened up our filming and editing format, and 18 minutes is our target for all the head-to-heads we're releasing currently, at least without the blooper content (although we still miss from time to time if the conversation is flowing--such is the nature of unscripted, conversational content). We appreciate the critique and we appreciate you watching as well. Cheers!
Y I’ll
Way too long
What is?