Watershed Bourbon (Discontinued)

Taste-Classic bourbon notes. Vanilla, corn, brown sugar and a moderate oak/spice finish. A slight vegetal dry paper note accompanies the final aftertaste. The pot still and possible mash bill contribute the uniqueness factor to this Ohio bourbon. Cocktail (Old fashion)- The vegetal farm note from the original taste comes through over the bitters and citrus. It’s not bad and it makes it memorable. The sweet vanilla and round pot still texture gets washed out with over dilution so try a large ice cube. I’m giving it an extra star because of the independent nature of the producer and I also live in Ohio. Go bucks!

Filling this out from tour and bracket days from years past... When I was a beginner, I considered this a 4.5* whiskey. It's smooth, forgiving, leathery, with strong vanilla and oak tannins. Now that I've tasted my first hundred, I recognize this as a well-executed local distillation but not among my favorites. I appreciate it for what it is. Drink locally and consider using this in an excellent old fashioned. [10.22.20] As an additional note, I'm tasting this whiskey after it underwent secondary aging in a cabernet barrel, following Watershed's first 'garage sale.' It's fantastic, and I'll find it difficult to ever purchase the original expression again.

Aroma: A clean scent resembling a baby diaper (this aroma was so distracting I couldn't discern anything else; now that I consider it, this might have been residue from the bar's laundry detergent). Taste: Unremarkable, with notes of leather and a hint of sweetness. Not many pleasant, strong flavors are present. Finish: Short and somewhat sweet. Due to the potential for an off-putting smell from residual detergent, I'm uncertain if this whiskey truly warrants its score, but I doubt it's worth trying again. All the other bourbons we sampled (seven in total) lacked similar odors, leading me to believe the issue was with the whiskey itself.

Smells of lemon, spice, and a bit of mint. Really nice. Flavor offers notes of rubber and youth initially, then evolves to caramel, baking spices, butterscotch, and lemon zest. It finishes fast and without warmth. Lingering vanilla custard and earthiness are present, but the finish is the weakest part. Overall, a solid whiskey. I'd be interested in sampling a higher proof or older version.

Thin, not excessively sweet, grainy, and simple. A quick finish. Very faint and quite weak. Tastes like a much lower proof bourbon. It feels as though this whiskey is underdeveloped, and it fails to deliver any of the expected flavors a bourbon would acquire from a charred oak barrel. This is the only glass of bourbon I have ever discarded.

The aroma (yellow cake batter, burnt sugar) is better than the taste (underdeveloped and musty dry oak). I agree with Jon... it needs more time. Considering how young Watershed is, I think they did a respectable job. However, I have more confidence in some of their other spirits (the gins). If you want to support local craft, it's not a bad choice. Batch #62