Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
10 Years Old
46.4% ABV (92.8 proof)
from barrel No #17A35
~$150 (sample provided)
Michter's limited edition 10 year rye is scheduled to be released in the coming month. Very excited to dig in here!
Color: light brown, orange/ruddy tint
Smell: Coming in on the spicy/hot side of rye in terms of aroma. There is a faint caramel sweetness, but it's more driven by mint/herbs and even some evergreen/pine notes for me. I'm also definitely getting some pumpernickel bread. Very interesting.
Taste: Soft caramel sweetness on entry, quickly joined by oak spice and a full complement of the funky herbal notes (in a good way). I get a lot of mint, some of that pumpernickel bread from the nose, and black pepper. The finish has a big, spicy rye kick along with some leather.
Overall: I like this quite a bit. For me, it's straddling B+/A- territory. There is no mistaking that this is a rye in terms of both aroma and mouthfeel. The only knock is that it's not quite as whisper smooth as I was expecting. Last year's release was much different stylistically and, while I slightly preferred its smooth sweetness, this year's punchy release is more characteristically "rye" in its delivery and very impressive in its own right. Recommended if you can get your hands on it!
