Michter's US*1 Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey (700ml)

“This small-batch whiskey is a treat” - Top 50 Spirits, wineenthusiast.com

Unlike Bourbon or Rye, which, by definition, must be aged in new oak barrels, US*1 unblended whiskey is aged in a way that utilizes second-use bourbon barrels to achieve a distinctive flavour profile. In late 2013, Michter's Master Distiller agreed to re-release this specialty after a nearly three-year absence from the market, deeming it “just right” and “the best it’s ever been.” Matured in bourbon soaked barrels, no neutral grain spirits are included in this blend. The colour is amber to brass gold. The aromas are rye-like offering powerful scents of stewed apple, cinnamon, vanilla and peppermint tea. Initially restrained in the mouth, the profile builds with concentrated, semi-sweet, spicy rye-like flavours - think stewed apple and a touch of Fisherman's Friend lozenge before winding up dry, balancing nicely with the mid-palate flavours which persist at length, but rounded off by some late sweetness. It's moreish whiskey that some tasters found reminiscent of single grain Scotch. 41.7% Alc./Vol. BATCH L14B98 tasted.

Other reviews... This small-batch whiskey is a treat, butter-soft and loaded with sweet toffee and hazelnut aromas and flavors. The long finish rolls toward dry espresso and mocha flavors, pepped up with clove and cinnamon. 94 points - wineenthusiast.com

Off-market for two years. Nose of caramel, sugar wafers, and a touch of just-ripe nectarine. Sweet/smooth in the mouth, with sweet mint, rock candy, and gliding King syrup flavors slipping all over the tongue, while oak notes provide high spiciness. Finishes with a lingering light sweetness, like a dissolving sugar flake. With all the sweetness, though, it doesn’t cloy. Nice, if not complex. 84 points
- whiskyadvocate.com, (Spring 2014) Reviewed by: Lew Bryson

...This one’s the most mysterious of the bunch — a mystery grain whiskey that is aged (for a mysterious amount of time) not in new oak but in used bourbon barrels. The nose is immediately curious — gingerbread, molasses, and some lumber, but also tinned apples and cinnamon. The body is sweet with milk chocolate and maple notes, I’m thinking a distilled version of Sunday breakfast with some Nestle’s Quik on the menu. This isn’t a bad whiskey but it is a curious one, playing its identity cards close to the vest. Wheat whiskey, perhaps? Why not just say so? No batch information. - drinkhacker.com