Review: Watershed Distillery Straight Bourbon Uncut Unfiltered

By Monica Uhm | May 20, 2024 |

Ohio-based Watershed Distillery has been making spirits since 2010, though this will be the first time Drinkhacker has taken a tasting tour of their bourbon. Today we have their barrel proof “Uncut Unfiltered” straight bourbon whiskey; not having experienced their staple bourbon expressions, we’re just diving into the deepest end. This release is aged for 4 years in Ohio-made char #5 barrels, which I found to be an interesting proposition. While 4 years is still treading on the younger side, the addition of char #5 barrels seems like it’s asking us for a bit of faith that the extra burn doesn’t overpower a relatively younger distillate. And at cask strength no less.

Let’s see how it fares.

The nose is lively, complex, and deep with classic vanilla, burnt caramel, and apple cider notes turned up to high definition. The palate bursts with pepper-forward stewed cherries and a sweet and spicy dance that feels like you grabbed a handful of Werther’s caramels and Red Hots and tossed them all into your mouth all at the same time. Despite the confectionary references, it’s not overly sweet; a good punch of spice and oak keep things interesting. As the palate settles in, I picked up on deep roasted walnuts heavily doused in cocoa powder; more sweet and spicy pairings akin to cinnamon-accented licorice. The added char really comes through in the finish, where an oaky bite hangs on like there’s no tomorrow, long after the caramel and buttered popcorn notes have run off to the sunset.

Overall it’s a very fun and commendable release. Lots of personality, and I think the math on the age, char, and abv levels works just right here. The heat is on and it feels good.

125.4 proof.

A- / $70 / watersheddistillery.com