Michter's US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey (700ml)

Unmissable. A shame so little was produced!

First offered in May 2015, this was the second limited edition from Michter's and one of a few in the range to be labelled as a 'barrel strength' release and received huge praise including 99 points from The Tasting Panel. The whiskey is matured in flame-charred new American oak barrels, typically yielding ABVs between 54-56%. Very small allocation.

[54% bottling tasted] Bright brassy-amber with considerable legs. A sensational rye bouquet. Densely packed with fruit and grain; poached apple, clove and cinnamon meld with peppery rye and mint freshness. Enormous, crunchy rye in the mouth with a surging, oily, peppery, mildly bittersweet attack that hints at apple pie, ryvita biscuit and peppermint. Beautifully integrated. Follows through with late barrel sweetness and the mid palate stage repeating in the aftertaste. A robust and compelling statement whiskey that's unmissable for fans of the genre.

Other reviews... Michter's appear to prefer a black cherry countenance. And there are no complaints here, not least because we are up there with the truly great rye whiskeys. [55.6% bottling tasted] 95.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2023

...A bold and dark tasting rye that stands out for its unique flavor profile. Michter’s has a knack for taking sourced whiskey, offering it with next to no fanfare, and managing to reach an respectable quality bar all while making the whiskey their own. I’ve been continually impressed by the company’s releases, notably their Sour Mash Whiskey and Single Barrel Rye. That continues with Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye. With a forcefulness spotlighting its rich and darker tasting flavor profile, it does well to differentiate itself from the market. With the amount of sourced products available it can be hard to get excited for yet another one. Michter’s is an old company that has gone through drastic changes and the company from 40 years ago or the company from 10 years ago, isn’t the company it is today. But perhaps from their longstanding tenure they’re able to pick and choose great barrels that exhibit a bit more than you’d expect. So far, that is the case with every Mitcher’s product I’ve tasted. - breakingbourbon.com

...Nose: Rich might be the easiest way to describe this release. The nose is full of butterscotch sweetness, vanilla and cocoa powder. Its nose is almost as rich and fragrant as the Michter’s older releases, like their 10 Yr Old Bourbon (a personal favorite). Palate: This release reminds me of honey cinnamon graham crackers with hints of apple poking through. It is a beautiful release that is full of flavor, and fulfills the promise of the nose. In many ways this reminds me of their older releases (like the 10 Yr Old Rye and the 10 Yr Old Bourbon) so for that alone it must be applauded. The texture is silky smooth for a good while before it gets spicy and the oak appears at the finish Finish: Long, sweet and spicy. It’s definitely a rye but still holds true to Michter’s established house style The addition of water rolls back the smoothness of the release, bringing on a sweet menthol burn in its place. The rye makes more of an appearance and cuts through the candy sweetness that is a Michter’s trademark. This is an amazing whiskey. It definitely became something I wanted to stock up on (especially as it is a limited release). It gives you a lot of what you’d expect from an older release. As good as the Toasted Barrel was, this is even better.
- whiskeyreviewer.com/