Cinnamon powder | Sweet corn | Light oak | Baking spice | Lightly spiced syrup | Potent ethanol

Sharp rye spice | Peppermint candy | Sweet corn | Leather | Syrup | Gripping mouthfeel | Proof shines through

Cinnamon spice | Bold rye spice | Mixed peppercorns | Light leather | Hints of syrup | Chewy oak | Large lingering heat

Two Souls Spirits is an independent bottler whose mission is to “hand-select exceptional spirits from craft distilleries that are reflective of the region where they are created. We are committed to providing full transparency and sharing our partner’s stories and products with a national audience. Our goal is to be the go-to curator of American craft spirits for discerning consumers seeking distinctive, meticulously crafted distilled products.” Their first inaugural release consists of one bourbon and one rye product, the latter of which was selected from Yahara Bay Distillers in Wisconsin.

Two Souls Spirits inaugural bourbon release was selected from Watershed Distillery and embraces every single bit of its 123.04 proof. While the nose embraces it to a fault, with ethanol crowding out the other scents, the rest of the sip uses it to its advantage and makes up for this fault. The palate is full of bold spicy and sweet notes that are delivered with a mouth-coating effect that provides a gripping mouthfeel. The finish carries over the sweetness but allows the spicier notes to shine through and provide a satisfying end to the sip.

Watershed Distillery is a craft distillery that has continuously impressed us in the past, and this selection by Two Soul Spirits is no exception. While independent bottlers aren’t an entirely new concept in the American whiskey space, it’s always nice to see new bottlers pop up, especially ones that are able to highlight great offerings from distilleries that more people should be exposed to. If you’re a fan of spicy bourbons, this one's for you.

The bottle being reviewed comes from barrel W81 and is bottle 211 out of 217.