Michter's 10 years Rye

Michter's

Origin

USA

Type

Rye Whiskey

Barrel

New Oak

Age

10 years

Alcohol

46,4°

Value

300 points

About the product

One of the most limited edition whiskeys produced by Michter's is this 10yo Straight Rye. This bottle is a tribute to the pioneers of American whiskey, who worked with rye. Unavailable for a long time, this whiskey is now making a modest comeback, which is good news for those who really love whiskey (or whiskey)!

This very limited whiskey also comes from a single barrel. It matured for at least 10 years in a freshly roasted cask of American white oak (Quercus Alba) before being bottled at 46.4% ABV. It is a rare example of an American whiskey aged in a cask for longer than the average 2-3 years, and therefore worth discovering for that reason alone.

The 10yo Rye opens debuts with a nose of rich crème brulée, mixed with a bouquet of sweet as well as savoury baking spices. Pepper (to be expected from a rye whiskey), dark honey and rich oak follow. This is one of the most complex aromas you can detect in whiskey. On the palate, you immediately notice the buttery mouthfeel, and the creamy flavours of toffee, orange zest and vanilla. The role of the oak is clearly well integrated, and sweet bread pastry is the next taste experience. This then evolves further into pudding, honey and sultanas. A curious depth of flavours. In the finish, more of what has already been mentioned, with a guest appearance of hints of red fruit, maple syrup and buttercream. Delicious and thankfully the finish lasts a long time, as this should last.

About the brand

Michter's is one of the pioneers when it comes to high-quality American whiskey. Their philosophy is not for nothing ‘cost be damned’, by which they mean that their first and only concern is the quality of their products rather than the cost involved in achieving that quality. Perhaps the most important example is that all their bottlings are done on the basis of small batches, or are even single barrels, which is obviously a lot more complex than mixing and bottling large quantities of casks at once.

The history of Michter's is at once long and short. The brand grew out of a distillery established as early as 1753 under the name Shenk's, founded by John Shenk, a farmer of Swiss origin in Shaefferstown, Pennsylvania. The name changed a few more times, including to Bomberger's. In those early years, they were best known for their rye whiskey, as rye was widely grown in that region. Legend has it that during the US Civil War, General George Washington was so convinced of the quality of their whiskey that he bought it for his men. Thus it was nicknamed ‘The Whiskey that warmed the American Revolution’.

Like so many distilleries, they closed their doors in 1919, due to the Prohibition. Afterwards, the distillery changed hands often, until in the 1950s it was owned by Lou Forman, who changed the name to Michter's, named after his two sons Michael and Peter. The distillery then did the books in 1989, but Michter's was given a second life: Joseph Magliocco and Dick Newman bought the rights to the brand and re-established it, but this time in the birthplace of bourbon: Kentucky. There they have been building this story for almost 30 years now, and with great success.