Two Souls Spirits Ohio Straight Bourbon (Watershed Distillery) Review & Tasting Notes

Two Souls Spirits is part of the newish breed of American independent bottlers. I’ve talked about what that means several times, the most recent was last December with my review of its 8-Year Rum Finished Wisconsin Rye. I’ve also reviewed a New York Straight Rye.

 

A third partner of Two Souls Spirits is a micro-distillery called Watershed Distillery. Initially thought up by partners Greg Lehman and Dave Rigo, they translated that plan into a working distillery in 2015. They started with a small still, then joined by a larger one from Headframe Spirits in Montana.

 

Watershed was the second post-Prohibition legal distillery in the state, and it maintains a restaurant on-premises. The distillery utilizes locally-grown ingredients, and some are unusual.

 

“We founded Watershed Distillery on the principles of community in 2010. We wanted to live in, work in and contribute to the community in which we grew up. We aimed to create spirits that stood apart in quality and character. Along the way, we set out to form a community of our own. One that could gather together to savor, celebrate and enjoy good spirits and company.” – Watershed Distillery 

 

Two Soul Spirits’ Ohio Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a single barrel distilled from a mash of 72% corn, 21% rye, and 7% malted barley. Barrel Watershed#18-0130 aged four years, four months, and 16 days in 53-gallon, new #4 charred oak casks from Independent Stave Company. This whiskey is non-chill filtered. Packaged at 61.52% ABV (123.04°), only 217 bottles were harvested and can be procured from the Two Souls Spirits website for $99.99.

 

So, how’s this taste? The only way to answer that is to #DrinkCurious, and before I even get there, I must thank Two Souls Spirits for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I sipped this Bourbon neat in my Glencairn glass. Inside, it presented as a bright orange amber. A slight swirl generated a medium rim which released very slow, sticky tears.

 

Nose: I found the nose very fragrant; as it was resting in the glass, I could smell it from across the room. The sweet aroma consisted of orange blossom, honey, toasted oak, and vanilla. Drawing the air through my lips allowed orange and caramel to roll across my tongue.

 

Palate: A very oily mouthfeel introduced my palate to caramel, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Flavors of orange peel and dried apricot formed the middle, while oak, tobacco, and clove were on the back.

 

Finish: While there was no real heat per se, the finish was warming and long-lasting. Toasted oak, apricot, orange peel, and clove remained, with the clove sticking to the tip of my tongue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The last barrel-proof Bourbon I had from this distillery was 118°, and it, too, drank way below the stated proof. Two Souls Spirits’ barrel is a bit on the dangerous side; you aren’t going to realize you’ve got a buzz coming on until it's already happened.

 

Two Souls Spirits indicated they selected this barrel because it was so off-profile for Watershed Distillery. I’m not sure what the other candidates were, but I commend Two Souls Spirits for choosing this one. It earns every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.