Bourbon doesn't get much respect out west. Everybody knows Kentucky owns the category, and for good reason — that's where the tradition runs deepest. But a distillery in Centennial, Colorado has been quietly stacking up 17 awards since 2019 for a bourbon that has nothing to do with Kentucky limestone water or Kentucky heat cycles. It's got its own thing going on, and the latest release proves the point better than anything that's come before it.
Branch & Barrel Distilling just dropped its newest small batch release, a 5-year Colorado Straight Bourbon called Batch 35. Around the distillery, people are calling it "Mitch's Blend," named after Master Blender Mitchell Nester, who apparently can't stop talking about how much he likes this particular batch. It's on shelves now across Colorado and pouring at the distillery's Centennial Tasting Room.
Why This Batch Stands Out
Nester isn't shy about where this one ranks. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is our best batch yet," he said. According to him, Batch 35 is "exceptionally smooth and well-rounded, reflecting both the maturity of our program and the quality of locally-sourced ingredients."
That's not just marketing talk. When a distillery has been running the same program long enough, the barrels start telling a more consistent story, and the people blending them get sharper at picking out what works. Batch 35 seems to be the payoff of years spent refining a process rather than chasing a trend.
The Colorado Difference
What separates this bourbon from anything coming out of the traditional whiskey belt is where it comes from and what it's made with. Branch & Barrel builds its flagship bourbon from local grain and water pulled straight from the Arapahoe Aquifer, a massive underground reservoir that's been filtering naturally through sandstone and shale for millions of years before it ever reaches a still.
That's not a small detail. Whiskey is shaped by more than just the barrel it sleeps in. Elevation, climate, the water table, the surrounding agriculture — all of it plays a role in the final product, and Colorado's landscape brings something to the table that Kentucky simply can't replicate. Branch & Barrel has leaned into that instead of trying to copy what's already been done a thousand times over. The result is a bourbon that tastes like where it's from, not like an imitation of somewhere else.
What's Actually in the Glass
Talk is cheap without something to back it up, so here's what people can expect when they pour a glass of Batch 35. The flavor profile is layered and grounded, built around notes of Honey Nut Cheerios, vanilla custard creme brulee, dark buckwheat honey, sandalwood, cedar humidor, rich cocktail cherry, caramelized orange oil, and old campfire.
That's a lot going on in one pour, and it's the kind of complexity that rewards taking things slow. This isn't a bourbon meant to be thrown back. It's built for sipping neat, for a couple cubes of ice to open it up a little, or for building into a bourbon cocktail that's a step above the usual order at the bar. Whether it's a quiet evening on the porch or a get-together with friends, Batch 35 is versatile enough to fit the moment.
A Small Batch Program Built on Patience
Branch & Barrel doesn't flood the market with this bourbon. Small batch releases of the 5-year Colorado Straight Bourbon come out roughly four times a year, and each one carries its own personality. That's because every batch reflects the specific barrels that aged it, the environment those barrels sat in, and the palate of the blender who selected and put it all together.
In other words, no two batches are identical twins. They're more like siblings — related, familiar, but each with its own character. For bourbon drinkers who like tracking down a particular batch or comparing how the flavor shifts release to release, that's part of the appeal. It turns buying a bottle into something closer to a small ritual than a routine grocery run.
Colorado's Growing Reputation in Whiskey
Colorado has been carving out its own lane in the national whiskey conversation for a while now, and distilleries like Branch & Barrel are a big part of why. The state's climate and elevation create aging conditions that behave differently than what happens in a Kentucky rickhouse, and craft distillers here have been willing to let that difference show up in the glass instead of fighting against it.
Branch & Barrel's growing shelf of awards backs up the idea that this isn't a gimmick. It's a legitimate approach to bourbon that happens to come from a state most people don't associate with whiskey — yet.
The Roots of the Operation
Branch & Barrel didn't start as a polished operation with a tasting room and a lineup of award winners. It started small and experimental back in the late 2000s, with spirits aging on branches before the distillery ever had a proper home. The actual distillery opened its doors in 2016, and everything since then has been built on that same hands-on, experimental mindset — just scaled up and refined with years of practice behind it.
That kind of origin story matters to a certain type of drinker. It's not a corporate brand chasing a bourbon boom. It's a group of people who started tinkering with something in their own backyard, more or less, and built it into a distillery putting out award-winning bourbon a decade later.
Where to Find It
Batch 35 is available now at craft spirits retailers across Colorado. For anyone wanting the full experience — seeing where the bourbon actually comes together, talking to the people behind it, maybe tasting a few other releases side by side — the Centennial Tasting Room is open and pouring.
For bourbon drinkers who like to know the story behind what's in their glass, and who appreciate a distillery willing to do things its own way instead of following the Kentucky playbook line for line, Batch 35 is worth tracking down. It's not trying to be something it's not. It's just trying to be the best bourbon Colorado can make, and by the sound of things, it's getting closer to that goal with every batch.
