First Nocino Finished Bourbon Barrel

This is a project that has been a year in the making. It came from a conversation with my friend, Aaron Goldfarb. We were brainstorming some barrel finishes from his book "Hacking Whiskey". He mentioned that Watershed Distillery did a barrel-aged Nocino. The sweetened walnut liqueur with spices seemed like the perfect back bourbon to finish a bourbon. 

In September of 2019, Watershed started to send monthly samples of a 4-year bourbon dumped into a Nocino barrel. Initially, I thought this would be a 30-60 day finish. It ended up taking 9-months before the bourbon started hit the flavor profile I was chasing. It's been a long process but the finished product made it all worth it! I'm grateful that the Watershed team was will to work with us on this experiment.

Proof: 110.9 proof

Age: 4-years 9-months

Finishing Barrel: Nocino 

Tasting Notes:  Oak and Panella brown sugar. There's clove and black pepper. The nose and taste work nicely together. The initial notes of sweetness fade to baking spice and fruit cake. The foundation bourbon adds hints of pecan, currants, and anise. The nocino just amps everything up with the addition of dried dates and spice. The finish adds to the dry notes with cocoa and cinnamon.

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Watershed Distillery Nocino

Proof: 48.4 proof

Bottle Size: 375ml

Nocino (No-chee-no) is an extremely rare black walnut liqueur, released once a year in limited supply.

Purpose: You may notice, the back of the bottle says, “Thanks, Charlie!” Charlie is a local physician who shared his recipe with us because he was inspired by our story. Equally inspired by his story and generosity, we decided to add Nocino to our family of spirits.

Ingredients: Originating from a Northern Italian recipe, Watershed’s Nocino is an aged spirit made from raw, unripe black walnuts, sugar and spices. The walnuts must be harvested prior to the nut forming, and before they fall from the tree; creating a narrow window of time to produce this rarity.

Process: aged liqueur made with locally sourced, un-husked black walnuts

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Watershed Distillery Old Fashioned

Proof: 70 proof

A classic Old Fashioned made with quality ingredients; simply uncork, pour over ice and enjoy.

Purpose: We created our bottled Old Fashioned in order to give everyone, no matter their experience level, the chance to enjoy a balanced, classic cocktail. For those occasions when you want the perfect cocktail without the fuss, we’ve got you covered.

Ingredients: A blend of bourbon with premium bitters, raw sugar and the best Ohio cherry juice. A traditional, no fuss Old Fashioned perfect for toasting all of life’s important moments.

Process: Created from a mix of Bourbon, bitters, raw sugar & Ohio cherry juice