Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 70 cl, 42.4% ABV

Product Information

Overall: Our tasting panel’s overall assessment of the quality of the product,as well as its rank in comparison to others within the category The Overlooked Cobweb Is a Well-Crafted, Future Halloween Cult Classic By Jim Vorel October 28, 2023 | 12:15am Finish: The end dries out the almond with a vanilla cream tobacco, soft and sweet cedar, and dark chocolate orange vibe all balanced to damn near perfection. Michter’s likes to say its 10-year rye “continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company.” The distillery ties its history to Shenk’s, which opened in Pennsylvania in 1753 – and, no doubt, made Monongahela Rye. That distillery eventually became Bomberger which, following Prohibition and another couple of decades, became Michter’s.

Palate: That fruit becomes more dried and almost salted on the palate while bourbon vanilla and mild caramel sweetness mingle with cinnamon and nutmeg.Generally speaking, when you see a whiskey labeled as “blended whiskey” or just “bourbon” (instead of “straight bourbon”), it’s a blend of whiskey with neutral grain spirits to help keep costs down and profits high. This expression is labeled as “Unblended,” specifically because it’s made with whiskey only (no grain spirits added). The whiskey in these bottles was aged in barrels that are “whiskey-soaked.” Once the whiskey is just right, it’s then blended and small-batch bottled. Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness. Finish: That dryness drives the mid-palate towards the finish with a pecan shell vibe next to slightly bitter singed cedar bark. Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.

I had been curious about Willett for a while, but knew they were sourcing. I purposefully stayed clear of their bottles until I found a Noah’s Mill that specifically stated “distilled, aged, and bottled by Willett Distillery” because I wanted to judge them based on their own output, not on stuff they sourced. It seems Willett’s own juice is a bit polarizing now that they are bottling their own distillate, but at least they are doing their thing and stating it on the bottle! I happen to like some of their stuff, and will continue to explore. Here’s hoping Michter’s chooses more transparency down the road. Either way, I’m not writing this for them. I’m writing this for the other segment of Malt’s readership, the ones who believe that production processes have a direct impact on the flavors of the resultant whiskey, and that maximum transparency about these processes allows us to make better-informed decisions about what whiskey is likely to taste better. To us, a great whiskey story is a story of making great whiskey, whether or not it features former presidents, heirloom recipes, infamous gangsters, Vikings, etc.

3. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old

This is another rye whiskey that has no business tasting as good as it does while still being fairly gettable (albeit at a price).