Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey (2019 Release)

Not enough corn to be a bourbon, not enough rye to qualify for that category. I've never had the standard Michter's Sour Mash, so in the absence of a basis for comparison, I'll try to evaluate this limited release on its own merits. Batch No. 19H1247 Nose: Gala apple, brown sugar, chewy caramel, and a heavy hit of caramel. Some leather and toffee. Apple cider and caramelized apple. Vanilla and banana. Orange peel. Walnut and almond. The aromas are mostly sweet ones, though there is a touch of spice in you search for it. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice. It's subtle, but it's there. A nice hit of oak. Surprisingly strong nose for a 43% ABV whiskey. Palate: Leather and black pepper hit first. Then it's more Gala apple. Caramel, vanilla, and plenty of orange/orange peel notes. Honey, toffee, apricot, and peach. Hefty oak note and bit of baking spice. Mostly allspice, with a bit of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove from the nose. Black pepper throughout. Finish: Apple cider, and a bit of black pepper. Chewy caramel and orange peel. Vanilla. Plenty of baking spice. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice are out in full force. Big oak. Moderate-long length, which is a pleasant surprise at 43% ABV. It's a good whiskey. I found it closely resembles a bourbon on the nose. Meanwhile the palate starts as a rye and transitions into a a hybrid of a standard bourbon and something I can't quite classify by mid-palate. The finish is a hybrid of both a bourbon and a rye. I find this intriguing. Prior to this review, I pitted this against Elmer T. Lee, another Sour Mash whiskey. I preferred ETL. But that's one of my favorites, so it's no slight to this one. On it's own merits, it's a very good whiskey. Is it worth the $90 I paid? I'd say so, on the grounds of uniqueness. Michter's defied traditional mash bill standards in the US, and came away with a quality product. I'm not sure what the Toasted Barrel added to this. From my understanding, the mash bill more had greater influence on the tasting notes than whatever the toasted barrel added. Still, I'm now very intrigued by the standard Michter's Sour Mash. I'll have to give it a buy. But if you can find this south of a C-note, I'd give this a buy. It's a very interesting whiskey and I'm glad I grabbed it.

Nose is exactly like the sour mash but the taste is a smooth and deep smoked caramel with an amazing coffee afternote

Interesting juice. Definitely heavy nutty flavor on finish. I was able to try this during a very long night of whiskey tasting, but I was unfortunately unable to take good notes. I use the rating scale below. Distiller uses a scale of 5 and I use a scale of 10, but I’m sure you’re not too drunk to do the math! 1. Disgusting - So bad I poured it out. 2. Poor - I wouldn't consume by choice. 3. Bad - Multiple flaws. 4. Below average - Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. 5. Good - Just average. 6. Very Good - Better than average. 7. Great - Well above average. 8. Excellent - In a league of its own. 9. Incredible - An all-time favorite. 10. Perfect