Wathen's Barrel Proof Bourbon (58.68%)

58.25% abv, barrel 100 bottle 182/186 Garfields pick. Butterscotch comes to mind. Very good.

Lots of corn silk, spice, hot nose

This is a different single barrel barrel proof pick from Vintage Wine and Spirits in Nashville, TN. Barrel #65 of 75 released in 2019. I have heard very little about Wathen’s or the Charles Medley Distillery, but after some research I’ve found that at the moment they are allowed full access to an unnamed distiller (Heaven Hill) to do their distillate runs using their own mashbill. It is then aged (I assume in KY because it’s a Kentucky Straight Bourbon), then bottled by them in California. Regardless this particular bottle has peaked my interest. The nose is sweet with notes of white vanilla frosting, caramel, sweet corn, a slight grassy/mustiness, caramelized red apples and plumbs, barrel char, and milk chocolate. Very welcoming. The palate is sweet with a slightly thicker/oily mouthfeel, which a little dryness on the palate. There is sweet corn, hint of dark fruit, leather, vanilla, barrel char and a note of a can of mixed nuts. The finish first hits with that grassy not and then has lingering barrel char, caramel and sweet corn for a long finish. What a pleasant surprise! I really didn’t know what to expect, except possibly a Heaven Hill profile (which it totally has). It’s like if you took Heaven Hill Bottled In Bond and made it barrel proof. I really like this a lot!

Spicy but sweet. Great mouthfeel and a long finish.