Branch & Barrel Distilling Draws on 65-Million-Year-Old Rocky Mountain Water & High-Altitude Aging

As Colorado gains national attention for its world-renowned whiskey production, Branch & Barrel Distilling leans into the state’s natural landscape and agriculture to craft award-winning whiskey. With Colorado-sourced ingredients and an intentional distilling process, Branch & Barrel has built bourbon around Colorado, leaning into the elevation and climate to help uniquely shape bourbon to perfection.

Branch & Barrel Distilling’s Colorado Bourbon has deep roots in the region, from long-standing grain partnerships and family land stewardship to local water access. The Centennial-based craft distillery uses water drawn from specialized wells that tap the Arapahoe Aquifer, a vast underground reservoir that has been naturally filtering through sandstone and shale for millions of years, since the Cretaceous period—the age of dinosaurs.

Among the ingredients used to make Branch & Barrel’s bourbons, water is arguably the most consequential. Used at every stage of production and comprising up to 60% of the finished spirit, water directly shapes the flavor and quality of bourbon from mash to bottle.

The Arapahoe Aquifer’s water has filtered down through soil and rock layers over millennia, never touched by modern pollutants and emerging naturally purified.

“The quality of water is the foundation of bourbon,” said Mitchell Nester, Branch & Barrel’s Master Blender. “The water we use from the Arapahoe Aquifer is the purest water in Colorado.”

Free of microbials, heavy metals, and the industrial contaminants that affect surface water sources, its high mineral content plays an active role in distilling: the pure, mineral-rich water helps enzymes in the mash break starch down into simple sugars, directly shaping fermentation and flavor. This water has the added benefit of being iron-free, giving Branch & Barrel’s finished spirits a clean, crisp character.

“Naturally filtered through sandstone and shale, confined underground and protected from pollutants since pre-industry days, our water is exceptionally clean, with unique minerality,” said Nester. “We’re using the most untouched water available in Colorado, and it ties us to the history of the land.”

Branch & Barrel’s commitment to Colorado terroir extends across the distillation process. The distillery uses locally sourced corn, wheat, rye, and barley, with an intentional process shaped by Colorado’s high elevation and dry climate—factors that influence barrel maturation in ways distinct from traditional American whiskey regions.

The distillery’s award-winning bourbons are helping put Colorado on the map as an American whiskey destination. In April 2026, Branch & Barrel earned Double Gold (96 points) for its Wheated Bourbon and Gold (91 points) for its High Rye Bourbon at the Denver International Spirits Competition, as well as a Double Gold at The Fifty Best for its Honey-Infused Bourbon.

Also in April, the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce named Branch & Barrel the 2025 Small Business of the Year.

Enjoy a taste of Colorado history with every sip of Branch & Barrel. Ask for bottles of Branch & Barrel at craft spirits retailers across Colorado, or visit the Tasting Room in Centennial to experience it in person.

About Branch & Barrel

Branch & Barrel Distilling exists to make the perfect Colorado bourbon. The Centennial, Colorado-based distillery grew out of the state’s terroir. With Colorado-sourced ingredients and an intentional distilling process, Branch & Barrel has built bourbon around Colorado, leaning into the elevation and climate to help uniquely shape bourbon to perfection. Branch & Barrel started experimental and small in the late 2000s, aging spirits on branches, before opening the distillery in 2016. Today, the distillery is crafting award-winning bourbons in barrels with the same authentic and hands-on approach. To learn more about Branch & Barrel, find a bottle, or visit the Tasting Room in Centennial, check out babdistilling.com.