Whiskey_Hound
Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey (2019 Release)
Other Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
July 12, 2020 (edited September 14, 2022)
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.
90.0
USD
per
Bottle
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That was a lot of taste notes ... appreciate the details, but I don’t notice all of what you wrote. Nose: sweet overall with caramel, cinnamon, and apple cider. Very pleasant. First taste: pepper and a little burn. More apple cider, red hots, and there is a nuttiness that might be from the toasted barrel. There is a lot of apple with spice that hits up front and lingers. That is the dominant flavor. Finish: feel like I had a good carmel apple with nuts ... 3 minutes later, I still taste that apple with no funky aftertaste or distractions. Batch: 19H124B. 86 proof. No idea of the price. My son gave it to me for my birthday, knowing I like Michter’s products. I like this one too. Different and pleasant.
@dubz480 Good to know. I'll take your advice on that
@Whiskey_Hound I did indeed but please not that was a single barrel selected by my local Whiskey Community (11 of us tasted thru barrel samples and chose the barrel). I'd seek out a pick from a store you trust over the standard offering. There typically is no mark up for a pick and in fact they can often be cheaper.
@dubz480 Now that’s interesting. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Peerless. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a sweet smash whiskey, so add another reason to try their rye to the list. If I remember correctly, you gave it a very positive review?
@Whiskey_Hound that's correct... all of the BT offerings are sour mash so that isn't meaningful when it comes to EHT (simply marketing) For example Blanton's and Hancock are also sour mash with the same mashbill but they don't focus on advertising it.
@dubz480 Yes it does! I was aware of the >=51% rule but I did not know that most bourbons and ryes are sour mash. So when Elmer T. Lee bears the Sour Mash title on its label, this doesn't really distinguish it from the rest of the Buffalo Trace line of bourbons? Also, I've never had of sweet mash. Interesting
@Whiskey_Hound yes the TTB designation would be an American Whiskey... Sour mash just references that the mash includes part of the previous batches mash (hence the sour)... they do this to maintain consistency from batch to batch... the opposite of the is called a "sweet mash" (Peerless and Wilderness Trail are examples of Distilleries using this technique)... pretty much every Bourbon or Rye uses a sour mash. Hope that helps!
@dubz480 Thanks man! It’s technically an “American Whiskey” right? And sour mash is just a descriptor but the not the category.
Great review... I really enjoy this expression as well and find it to be a nice upgrade over the standard sour mash (my least favorite of all the Michters standard offerings).. As a side note the reason it's labeled "sour mash" and not Bourbon or Rye is because it's Mashbill has less than 51% of both and thus doesn't meet the requirements to be labeled as either!