Virginia Gentleman Bourbon

Pros: Good, cheap, and you can win bets with the label.
Cons: Not as good as the 90 proof version

Kentuckians hate this bourbon.

But why? It is born in the Bluegrass country. It is mashed, stilled, barreled, and bottled in exacting compliance with the regulations of bourbon-making. It is amber fire in crystal, it is sweet heavy air...

Pros: smooth, clean, warm, balanced
Cons: it's from Virginia, so there are no cons

I pride myself on being a gentleman most of the time. I also take pride in my Virginia roots. It's not such a giant stretch then to admit I love Virginia Gentleman. Afterall, it is the bourbon I grew up on. Since my whole family lived in Virginia and had...

Pros: Good tasting bourbon
Cons: Not sold everywhere,

My goodness,I found some of this all the way down here Tennessee. Its hard to find so I'm hanging on tight to the remainder.
This Bourbon is made in Kentucky and sent to Virginia for the finishing touches. The finishing is the special copper pot...

Pros: Cheap, tasty, smooth, consistent
Cons: more difficult to find

Review is of the 80 proof version. Let me start by saying this bourbon is not the easiest bourbon to find. Late last fall I was buying various bourbons that were available in small bottles for a low price to keep my flask full, one day the Virginia ...

Pros: Best bang for your buck. Unbelievably smooth and cheap.
Cons: None

This is my table bourbon. I proudly serve this to the disbelief of guests over higher profile bourbons like Maker's Mark or Knob Creek or Elijah Craig. Why?

I'm glad you asked. For the money, this is the smoothest bourbon around. It is in a category with Knob Creek, Maker's Mark, etc. for just a fraction of the cost.

At $10.99 a bottle, $19 a handle, you can't beat the quality.

In a blind taste test with Maker's Mark, Blanton's, and Elijah Craig - this stuff one. It can be enjoyed on the rocks, straight - cut with 3 drops of water, or mixed. This is the bourbon of Virginia and the bottle is signed by Jay Adams (the CEO of A. Smith Bowman) and Robert E. Lee IV. What fine Virginia heritage for a fine bourbon.

Now is it really a bourbon. Yes. While it is not finished in the bourbon counties of Kentucky, it is still considered a bourbon, because it is rooted in Kentucky, but by the grace of god, finished in Virginia - from one Commonwealth to another.

Pros: Sweet, smooth, rich, drinkable. Fun to serve "anonymously." Watch them try to guess the label.
Cons: Almost too cheap. I got over that, though.

Other reviewers here already have hit the target: this is the sort of bourbon you try one day out of curiosity, or because you've already bought what you'd planned to buy and had enough change left over for one more bottle of something or other.

And then when you get home and sip a little bit neat . . . . well, you look around as if you're afraid someone will see you enjoying a cheap, lower-shelf brand. And the thing is that you will, in fact, be enjoying an inexpensive bourbon more than you think you should. You might even look at the orangy-amber color, or try it over ice to be sure you're not having some sort of hallucination.

I don't know why this super-smooth, sweet bourbon whiskey sells for so little. My favorites, including Old Grandad, Knob Creek, and George Dickel, will continue to be my favorites. It's just that they have to share my cabinet with Virginia Gentleman, which, for a while now, has been holding its front-and-center position. This is a bargain, folks.