I cannot believe I waited so long to try the Michters 10 year Straight Rye. It’s not until only recently I got into non Scotch but let me say, this so far has been quite a wonderful journey.
Michter’s was a famous northern distillery that closed in 1989. The brand is seeing a large resurgence and is now based out of Kentucky.
Originally known as Shenk’s and later as Bomberger’s, Michter’s was founded by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753. In its earliest days, Shenk’s produced whiskey from rye grain, a favorite local crop in the Pennsylvania Blue Mountain Valley where the distillery was located. In the 1990s, Joseph J. Magliocco and his consultant and mentor Richard “Dick” Newman teamed up to resurrect Michter’s. Long story short this great American whiskey is pretty top notch.
Name: Michter’s Single Barrel 10 Year
Region: Kentucky, USA
ABV: 47.2%
Nose: Leather, vanilla and faint butterscotch are cleverly disguised under the caramel oak notes of this dram. It’s a very pleasant sniff, and it doesn’t burn every time you take a new whiff.
Palate: Cinnamon with oak, more vanilla, and caramel. The taste is almost warming and sensual. There is a nice sweetness to it, but not too much that it overpowers the other notes.
Finish: The finish is medium and a bit spicy. Not too much but it has a nice warming oak sweetness to it.
