John J. Bowman Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a fragrant nose of marmalade and soft biscuits with notes of toffee, leather, figs and almonds. The center-palette is dominated by signature notes of apples and pears which lead to a long, dry finish. John J. Bowman Bourbon earned the Double Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Silver Medal at the 2011 Fifty Best Tasting Competition. In addition, it earned a score of 96 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2014 – two points more that Pappy Van Winkle's 15 year old bourbon.