Watershed Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond

This one really improves after sitting in the glass for a bit after pouring — savor it slowly to enjoy it! Warm apple cider, red apples, Honeycrisp apples, stewed apples, vanilla, a whisper of sweet cornbread, spearmint, spicy wood, toasted nuts, walnuts, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, certainly some burn, especially at the conclusion, a touch of cigar ash / *very* spicy on the finish. It's so dominated by apple that I had to double-check the bottle to confirm it wasn't finished in something like apple brandy barrels, considering their "Watershed Bourbon" [1] is named as such (the BiB version isn't finished). A little green but also more intricate than expected for its 4-year age. It also somewhat brings to mind RR SIB picks for its flavor profile, but as if they were much younger. I'd definitely be interested in continuing to taste Watershed's spirits as they approach the 6–7-year age range. Overall, I'm between 3.75 and 4.0 for this one: "3.75+". Compared to popular choices, I prefer this to WSR but not quite as much as OWA / KC SBS / RR SIB picks. I get why it earned a Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That said, the flavor profile is rather distinctive here, and it's a young craft product (certainly not for everybody), but it's evident that Watershed is already on the right track. If you happen to enjoy spicy apple and vanilla-forward flavor profiles, then trying a bottle is something I'd suggest. One last thought is that I wish Watershed would reveal the mashbill. It's unusual and intriguing, and they have explored non-traditional bourbon grains like spelt previously, so I'm eager to discover what they decided on this time. On a side note, the Watershed Nocino [2], a walnut liqueur, is a truly fascinating and unusual spirit that makes for an enjoyable Old Fashioned. Its availability is restricted, but I recommend trying it if you can find it.

Smells like a big caramel apple with cinnamon. Extremely sweet, quite appealing. The sweetness in the smell is just too much for me. Taste has brown sugar, candy sweetness, caramel, and vanilla. All sweet flavors at the beginning. I detect some smokiness in the middle. The finish offers a black cherry cola taste with a hint of nuts. It's a really distinct finish. Overall, this is incredibly easy to drink and potentially problematic. It might divide opinions due to the stinging sensation on the gums. However, this one is so sweet, it goes down fast without that heat. It's worth the cost and is reasonably priced around $55.

Very smooth, with a lingering warmth in the throat. Notes of caramel and dark cherry are central to the flavor profile. Its bottled-in-bond status and local production in Columbus, Ohio, make it a personal favorite. Nicely executed and well-balanced.

New to bourbon, so please bear with me. Nose: I detect cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla... and some oak. Taste/Finish: It wasn't as sweet as I expected. Roasty, malty, and toasty with good complexity... and smooth.

Overall, it's a good bourbon. It's preferable neat rather than on ice. The only aspect that bothers me is a lemon-citrus finish that is excessive for my liking.

I am genuinely surprised by the quality of a bourbon from Ohio. For its price, this bottle is excellent. It's smooth, even when consumed neat.