Aged oak | Roasted corn | Granny Smith apple pie | Dried summer fruits

Charred aged oak | Sweet vanilla | Light breakfast syrup | Baking spices | Baked cinnamon apple

Baking spices | Cinnamon powder | Gentle aged oak | Vanilla powder

Located almost as far west as you can travel in New York state, about 45 miles southwest of Buffalo and only minutes from the southern shores of Lake Erie, Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing claims the title as New York’s first combination distillery, brewery, and winery. The company’s Deep Water allows it to show off what their bourbon and rye taste like with more age. While their Deep Water Rye uses the same mashbill as their standard rye, Deep Water Bourbon uses a different mashbill than their standard bourbon, utilizing a two grain, corn heavy mashbill instead.

For being a high corn bourbon, the sip is on the sweeter side, as expected. Aged oak and roasted corn scents push against Granny Smith apple pie and dried summer fruits to open up the sip. The midpoint of the sip brings about more traditional notes of oak and vanilla, along with sweet breakfast syrup and baked cinnamon apple. Ending with a straightforward finish, Deep Water Bourbon wraps things up in a neat package.

Two grain, high corn mashbills aren’t typically found in bourbons. However, Five & 20 Spirits leans into this uniqueness to produce a bourbon that is gentle yet flavorful. Its $80 asking price is a lot considering what is delivered, but in line with what you might expect a craft distillery to charge for their highest age product. While it might not be enough to stand out in the overall marketplace, it’s a step up from their standard bourbon, and fans of the brand should appreciate the sweeter, more defined flavor profile Deep Water Bourbon delivers.