Ohio Straight Bourbon

The Basics:

Sourced from Watershed Distillery

123.04 Proof

4 Year Age Statement

$100 MSRP

Nose:

Caramel, raspberry tart, brown butter, clove, orange zest, and honey.

Palate:

Orange peel, roasted pecans, brown sugar, oats, creamed honey, and lemon curd.

Finish:

Short finish with notes of tangerine, grapefruit, palmier cookies, and nutmeg.

Wisconsin Straight Rye

The Basics:

Sourced from Yahara Bay Distillers

147.18 Proof

8 Year Age Statement

$140 MSRP

Nose:

Grape jolly ranchers, pineapple gummy bears, and cotton candy.

Palate:

Grape tootsie pops, lemon lime soda, and stewed apples.

Finish:

Long finish with notes of tootsie rolls and black pepper.

Final Thoughts:

Two Souls Spirits is a new independent bottler that just launched their first two whiskies in September 2022. Unlike most bottlers, Two Souls operates on a model of full transparency in order to ensure that the consumer knows everything about the whiskey that they can. This includes the actual distillery (not just state of distillation), mash bill, age, barrel char, and more. As someone who tries a lot of whiskey, these kind of details help to set brands apart from each other. The inaugural releases include a 4+ year Ohio bourbon from Watershed Distillery and an 8+ year Wisconsin rye from Yahara Bay Distillers. And just in case you missed it… the 8 year is HAZMAT at 147.18 proof! The 4-year bourbon definitely hits on the more traditional notes you would expected like brown sugar and baking spices, while also bringing a ton of citrus,  creamed honey, and palmier cookie. The 8-year rye on the other hand is an explosion grape Jolly Ranchers and pineapple gummy bears throughout. Don’t get me wrong, it still packs a punch of heat that comes through as black pepper on the finish. Overall both of these expressions are enjoyable, but I would give the 8-year rye my vote for its intense fruit flavors and long spicy finish.