Michter’s US☆1 Barrel Proof Rye – Toasted Barrel Finish (2023 Release) Review

With strong ties to a distilling legacy spanning over 250 years, the Michter’s Distillery in Louisville, KY, has been producing a comprehensive range of award-winning American whiskies since the brand was resurrected by Company President Joseph Magliocco in the 1990’s. Now distilling in their own facilities since August of 2015, the Michter’s brand has seen a quick return to global recognition for the quality of both their own and their sourced whiskies under Master Distiller Dan McKee, Master Distiller Emeritus Pam Heilmann – the first woman to serve as a Master Distiller at a Kentucky Distiller’s Association distillery since prohibition, and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson – the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers Association and inductee to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®. Most recently in 2023, Michter’s was the first American distillery to be crowned the “World’s Most Admired Whiskey” in the prestigious annual list of top 50 producers published by Drinks International in 2023, beating many other premium global brands. 

The Michter’s core range of whiskies, which are bottled under their popular US☆1 line, consists of their small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, their single-barrel Kentucky Straight Rye, their small batch Unblended American Whiskey, their small batch Original Sour Mash American Whiskey, and several limited edition variations of these. Their age–stated whiskies, which are bottled under their 10-year-old, 20-year-old, and 25-year-old labels consist of straight Kentucky bourbon and rye whiskey which come from sourced stocks and are released on a ‘when-ready’ basis to eager fans.

Announced in August of this year, Michter’s Distillery in Kentucky delighted fans of their Toasted Barrel Finished (TBF) whiskies with the long-awaited news that their TBF Barrel Proof Rye would be returning for the first time since 2020. As the first distillery to release whiskies finished in a second custom toasted barrel, Michter’s are established masters in the art of producing TBF whiskies which boast all of the best aspects of their respective style and, crucially, without many of the flaws often found in TBF releases from less experienced brands. According to the brand, “To make our Michter’s US1 Toasted Barrel Rye we take our US1 Kentucky Straight Rye at barrel strength and then age it for an additional period in a second custom barrel. This second barrel is assembled from 24-month air-dried wood and then toasted to our specifications.” Let’s taste!

Vital Stats:

Name: Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish US☆1 Barrel Proof Single Barrel Rye (Barrel No: 23G2641)
Age: NAS
Proof: 109.2 Proof (54.6% ABV)
Type: Single Barrel Kentucky straight rye whiskey
Mashbill: Not disclosed (minimum 51% rye grain)
Producer: Michter’s Distillery LLC, KY
Website: https://michters.com/
Glassware: Glencairn

Review

Nose: The nose opens complex and robust with sweet vanilla, warm toasted oak notes, rich baking spices, a predominant deep grassy rye, dark molasses, faint eucalyptus, and faintly bitter charred oak. As you nose deeper, notes of dried fruits and raisins, candied orange peel, tart berries, earthy cinnamon, white pepper and a whisper of fresh strawberries flood from the glass.

Palate: The palate opens viscous with dark caramels mixed in with white pepper, dark chocolate, and earthy baking spices which develop alongside thick herbaceous rye with a subtle eucalyptus edge. As the spice fades, an intoxicating blend of luscious red fruits and berries, heavily toasted charred oak tannins, lemon peel oil note, dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and a lingering herbaceousness also emerge.

Finish: The finish opens with a blend of lingering rye spice, warm toasted oak tannins, thick fruit notes, a touch of lemon peel, and the herbaceous eucalyptus rye note from the palate. The aftertaste is long and warming as the Kentucky Hug eventually fades to leave you with lingering notes of herbaceous rye, earthy baking spices, and red fruit notes.

Overall

Now in its third release in 6 years, this whiskey is a personal reminder that Michter’s remain the Masters of producing the highest quality Toasted Barrel Finished (TBF) whiskies. Inside every sip is a tempest of flavours ready to ignite your palate with robust, complex, and rich concentrated notes reminiscent of the iconic first release of TBF Barrel Strength Rye. It’s spicy, it’s grassy, and it’s fruity, with an abundance of earthy baking spices and sweet woody cinnamon notes, all enveloped in the warm embrace of rich, smoky toasted oak, enhancing the overall complexity and introducing additional layers of depth. What I also love about these Rye releases is that they are not only TBF and barrel strength, but also come from a single barrel adding further credence to the quality of the whiskey as the character hasn’t been blended away. This specific barrel, for example, gives robust dark green herbaceous rye undertones as well as syrupy, thick toasted oak notes, making it perfect for a more experienced palate that’s familiar with the TBF profile all the while retaining every ounce of its barrel strength rye whiskey charm. Subsequently, if you know a few people who have different bottles, you can then easily trade samples or buy your way into tasting from a group of barrels, and compare their unique dispositions.

As with most barrel strength whiskies, adding a few drops of water makes a significant difference to the overall drinking experience, allowing the flavours to unfold more gently whilst the spicy elements are dialled down a touch. The nose becomes an increasingly complex blend of caramels and warm toasted tannins which are accompanied by toasted marshmallow and succulent red fruit notes, whilst only a subtle hint of grassy rye lingers on the outskirts. The palate similarly expands, with the toasted oak influence blending seamlessly with subtle fruits, grassy white pepper rye spice, and earthy baking spices. The cinnamon and fruit notes that define Michter’s rye whiskies also take center stage and dance gracefully on the palate, as the once robust grassy eucalyptus rye notes subside. For those who are new to barrel-proof rye whiskies, I would highly recommend adding a few drops of water and working towards full strength as the flavours are more approachable and enjoyable, giving the nuances a chance to emerge. Another interesting effect I have observed from TBF whiskies (from many producers), is that giving a few inches of air in the bottle allows the whiskey an opportunity to stretch its legs and soften an otherwise sharp tannic edge which can result from the TBF process. In this whiskey, for example, I tasted it at various points of time to ensure that I accurately captured the full spectrum of flavours as the TBF edge settled and some of the intricacies developed.

Simply put, producing proper Toasted Barrel Finished whiskies means navigating a gauntlet of challenges. While it might seem a straightforward process of re-barrelling whiskey and waiting for six months, there are numerous points where things can go amiss, resulting in an over-oaked or unbalanced mess. Fortunately for us, Michter’s have perfected the art over the past decade, ensuring challenges are appropriately managed and risks properly mitigated through a combination of expertise and proprietary production processes. In fact, Michter’s high production standards and proud reputation of only releasing a whiskey once they agree that it has met their desired standards is the reason we don’t have more regular releases of this whiskey. Thankfully, however, when we do get a release it hits the mark by design and reminds the cynics why they were the first American distillery to be crowned the “World’s Most Admired Whiskey” in the prestigious annual list of top 50 producers published by Drinks International in 2023.  

Try or Buy?

With a recommended price of $120 a bottle the days of finding one of these at under $100 appear to be over. As such, I highly recommend you seek out a dram of this whiskey if you’re not sure if it will be for you. However, if you’ve tried this before, you know the deal, and if I find this on a shelf at $120, I’m not leaving it there!