Watershed Barrel Strength Bourbon Finished in Apple Brandy Barrels (Batch 002)

The color is magnificent, deep rich copper. Nose: Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, honeysuckle, toffee, & Red Delicious apples Palate: The 5 grain mashbill kicks in the door at first as it is a bowl of fancy oatmeal. That oatmeal sticks around but thankfully apples, peanuts, caramels, and honey show up late to the party. The sharpness of the barrel proof is upfront and just tingles throughout the sip. Finish: This whiskey shines here. It has a wonderful mouthfeel that hangs out. Apple skins, caramel, baking spice, and the graininess doesn’t show up anymore. Upfront this whiskey isn’t ideal for my taste. Dusty grains dominate but if you swish it around and let it linger it is an interesting and tasty pour.

Nose: Toasted wood and apple on the nose. It's a sweet and tangy apple. After a while I start to get almost a BBQ sauce vibe with the sweet and smoky vibe. Taste: sweet apple and oak, similar to the nose but I feel the nose is softer and the tastes smack a little harder. You definitely get the apple brandy influence. Then there is some nice spice and cinnamon that lingers. Then the fruits turn more bitter then sweet, but not in a bad way. Finish: short on the apple and sweetness, but the spice is what lingers. Has a decent mouthfeel at first and then starts to dry out after a while. I keep going back and there is some development, but it is mostly the same notes.

Incredibly robust, dark fruit, with subtle heat for its 120ish proof. The vanilla aroma is supplanted by sweet spice, reminiscent of fruit pie, and the oak ties it all together. Whether served neat over ice or in a julep, it's fantastic. This was the first item I tried from Watershed. After visiting their Distillery to sample their other offerings, they easily took the place of my preferred brand over High West.

Upon opening, it's viscous, noticeable, and woody. It smells like an apple orchard during autumn, which is perhaps the most unusual description I've ever given. It's decent. Worth $90? Unsure. However, I don't regret sampling it.

Reminds me of cinnamon apple cereal. Notes of sweet apple and char. Excellent heat. A brief finish. Quite tasty.

Quite potent, yet full of wonderful scents!