Our last set of picks from our trip to Columbus, Ohio just landed, and they are well worth the wait. Today we’re dropping two 7-year single barrel bourbons from Watershed Distillery.
Founded in 2010, Watershed was one of the first distilleries to open in Central Ohio since Prohibition - and they’ve been helping lead the charge in Ohio’s craft whiskey scene ever since.
They’re probably best known for their barrel-aged Nocino, a sweet liqueur made from Ohio black walnuts. That recipe came from a good friend of the distillery, Charlie, who shared his time-honored family recipe. We’ve even seen Nocino-finished bourbon pop up in a few national releases, like the Lost Lantern series, or some of you may even remember our single barrel for Seelbach's back in 2020.
For this visit, we kept it simple. We found a few fantastic barrels of their straight bourbon that were getting close to 7-years, and after selecting decided to let them rest just a little longer. Once the second barrel hit that 7-year mark last month, we got them bottled. We hope you enjoy these as much as Blake enjoyed his Nocino affogato he closed the pick with.
Watershed Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon "Americano" #17-0272
Americano is richly spiced, but never forgetting its core of wood sugars - profiles we find in the likes of Four Roses, Wild Turkey, New Riff, and even Ben Holladay.
The nose allures with baked apple pastry, subtle citrus, and honeysuckle. It slowly shows new layers, moving into overcooked caramel, raspberry, and fresh wood.
The palate has exceptional balance and flavor interplay, especially for the proof. Beautiful spice and sweetness in tandem - candied apples, dried cherry, balanced oak, freshly brewed coffee with a splash of vanilla creamer, and pepper spice lingering.
The finish continues bold and spiced, drawing in more orange oils and the classic leather, oak, and dried fruits more akin to a legacy producer with lasting cane sugar, caramel, and developing dark fruits in the long finish.
Watershed Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon "Affogato" #17-0280
Affogato is rounded and deep, definitely showcasing the char #5 characteristics of these barrels. While not as nutty in its oak nor as sweetly sugar coated, this has a lot of things I loved in the Parker’s Heritage Heavy Char Bourbon.
Being over 7-years old at the time of picking had its perks, the nose is plump with nougat, oranges and cream, damp oak and a smaller, growing hint of red fruits.
The palate is where this shines. Near velvety in texture, dense but still remaining creamy and approachable. It begins with lots of cooked sugars, moves into great oak structure, and finishes with coating dried red fruits, and sparkling brown sugar.
The finish slowly blankets the whole palate, with a slightly smoked cherry and leather profile not all unlike the Kelvin Shortbarrels we had recently, and begins to reveal more spiced cola notes as well. Leave some space between sips, this one likes to dance on the palate like Pop Rocks well into the long finish.
