Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey (2021 Release)
Specs
ABV: 54.6%
Age: NAS – minimum 4 Years
Recipe: Unknown low rye mash
Distiller: Michter’s
Country/Region: America/Kentucky
Price Paid (MSRP): $120 ($100)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Quite woody at first with toasted oak and pine followed by interesting notes of paprika and chili powder. A more more familiar rye whiskey nose follows with cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper and dill.
Palate: Medium to thick mouth feel, tannic and quite sugary at first with some chocolate and raisins. There’s some mild dill and then savory spices, chilis and vanilla.
Finish: Medium to long length, mint chocolate, bbq pork. It’s quite drying with plenty of young oak.
Rating: 81/100 – Excellent | Really quite exceptional
Oddly enough, when I first opened this bottle with some friends, we could not get past the dill note. Now I’m no stranger to dill in a rye, but here it completely dominated the whiskey in a manner I’ve only experienced in off batches of Willett 4 Year and MGP ryes. Thankfully it quickly wore off and on subsequent pours I tasted an excellent rye. This Michter’s Barrel Strength has a very interesting mix of sweet and savory, the brown sugar sweetness blending with something that reads to me as bbq pork and spices. It’s a unique and delicious pairing, despite not being my preferred flavor profile (I think I’m more inclined towards their toasted barrel rye). Additionally, Michter’s low entry proof works wonders to give this bottle an intense depth of flavor. At the $120 I paid I’m happy with my bottle, but I’m not rushing out to buy a backup.
