Ohio Distillers Guild Whiskey Collab Batch #1
Another first of its kind review this week in the Sunday Evening Review. This week I get the privilege to review the first ever Ohio Distiller’s Guild Collaboration Whiskey. This will be available at the first ever Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival that is on October 16th. This collaboration is from central Ohio distilleries High Bank Distillery, Echo Spirits, Watershed Distillery and Middle West Spirits. Let’s find out if these 4 can get along or will this turn into cat fight.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Ohio Distillers Guild Whiskey Collab Batch #1
PROOF – 120.2 (was told that some bottles can get above 121)
AGE – non-age stated
COLOR –amber grain (1.4, tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Clover honey, cinnamon stick, toasted oak, cherry pie filling, honeysuckle, and some peanut brittle.
TASTE – Sweet red cherry with cinnamon red hots off the start. Then you start getting mocha, vanilla, charred oak, and some buttered popcorn. It has an oily mouth feel. Make no doubt there is some heat on this to keep you warm at night.
FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The tobacco and leather come in at the end along with that cinnamon that hangs around along with an almond note that makes a presence.
REVIEW – It is always a crap shoot when you put together what others believe is the best way to do something and then try to put them together. I think this found the right balance and pulled some of the best parts from each. High Bank’s newer batches have a cherry note and charred oak, Echo Spirits has the cinnamon spice, Watershed I have always found earthy notes and Middle West with the traditional caramel notes and richness. They work well together and really give you a well-rounded, balanced and complex whiskey. This is a whiskey that you can spend some time with to be able to pull out all that it has to offer.
FINAL COMMENTS – Anyone that was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival (it sold out in 2 days) will have a guaranteed opportunity to buy one of these bottles for $99.99 with a portion of every bottle benefiting the Ohio Distillers Guild. The blend is 30% Watershed, 30% High Bank, 20% Middle West and 20% Echo Spirits.
For those wondering, the Ohio Distillers Guild’s primary function is to advocate for their members and to effect improvements for their industry through legislature which they, in return, will create a reputable, quality driven and successful distilling industry in Ohio.
