Review of Two Souls Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey Finished in Apple Brandy Casks (Watershed Distillery, 2023)

 

In 2008, partners Greg Lehman and Dave Rigo had a plan. They wanted to open a community-centric distillery in Ohio. Two years later, they founded Watershed Distillery in Columbus. Greg and Dave started with a small still, then acquired a larger one from Headframe Spirits in Montana.

 

Watershed was the second post-Prohibition legal distillery and the first to release legally Ohio-distilled Bourbon. 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

 

In 2021, partners James Estrada and Chad Civetti founded Two Souls Spirits, an American independent spirits bottling company.

 

“Two Souls Spirits is changing the way people find and enjoy craft spirits. Our single-barrel products are all hand-selected from the very best craft distilleries in the United States and made available exclusively through Two Souls. These spirits are big, bold, 100% uncut and unfiltered, and curated with the modern craft spirit enthusiast in mind. And best of all, we ship them directly to you […] to enjoy your journey through American craft spirits!" – Two Souls Spirits

 

A selection from its 2023 Spring Release is an American Single Malt Whiskey Finished in an Apple Brandy Barrel (whew, that’s wordy!). It comes from Watershed Distillery. Distilled in 2017 from a mash of 85% malted barley and 15% smoked malted barley, it slept over five years in a new, #5-char level barrel. Yes, you read that right – it is that heavily charred! That barrel’s contents were transferred by Two Souls Spirits to one that previously held apple brandy from Watershed.

 

This single malt carries a 6-year, 1-month, and 11-day age statement. It is both uncut and unfiltered. Entry proof was 113.5°, and bottling was slightly higher at 114.8°. The yield was 193 bottles, and you’ll pay $89.99 when you purchase from the Two Souls online shop.

 

Two Souls provided me with a sample of this whiskey in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. And that’s only accomplished when we #DrinkCurious. So, let’s do this!

 

Appearance: I am exploring this whiskey by using a Glencairn glass and sipping it neat. Inside, the deep orange-amber liquid formed a fragile rim and slow, sticky tears.

 

Nose: The aroma was a blast of black cherries, candied apples, caramel, and dark chocolate. As I drew the air through my lips, I found brandied cherries.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thin and oily. Coffee, cocoa powder, and stewed apples were on the front. Then, I tasted dark chocolate and caramel at the midpoint. The back featured very dry, charred oak and cherries.

 

Finish: There is a thing that I call pucker power. That happens when you drink something that sucks the moisture from your mouth. The natural reaction is to pucker and smack your lips. This American Single Malt has absolute pucker power. Dark chocolate, charred oak, cherries, and stewed apples provided a medium-long finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: While this single malt wasn’t overly complex, it was unusual in a satisfying and delicious manner. The pucker power enticed me to take another sip, then another, and another again. I never expected the cherries and was surprised by their prominent role. I believe Watershed created a heck of a one-off barrel, and well worth the cost to obtain a Bottle. 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.