Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey Review (2019)

By Randall Borkus

Rating: A

It’s April 2019 and we have some good news for rye whiskey lovers: Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is bottled and should be on the self as you are reading this. Straight off the bat, you need to know is that this is really good rye whiskey.

The Michter’s team has been pioneering the process of crafting outstanding rye whiskeys since early 1990s, long before trendy cocktails made rye popular again, with the intent to re-establish the high-quality American Rye whiskey category. Michter’s proved then that the lower 103 Barrel entry proof, rather than the traditional higher entry proofs, yields a richer, smoother, more full-bodied rye whiskey after suitable maturation.

The inaugural release of Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye was Spring 2015. Each single barrel of Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye is bottled at its unique proof at the time of the bottling, often ranging between 107 to 112 proof. Note also that Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye is now also available with a personalized Fort Nelson Reserve labeling at the new Fort Nelson Distillery, located in downtown Louisville.

Michter’s Master Distiller Pamela Heilmann observed, “Since I joined Michter’s, I’ve developed a greater appreciation of how good American Rye can be. I think this US*1 Barrel Strength Rye is really exceptional.” Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson shared Pam’s enthusiasm noting, “The increased corn and malted barley used in the rye recipe really allows the barrel to transform the product into a super smooth, rich and complex rye whiskey with an elegance on the palate.”

The high corn content is obviously contributing to the honey sweetness, but I know there is more going on here that cranks up the sweet honey-like overtones. They are still using contracted, sourced whiskey that consists of the Michter’s unique mash bill, specially prepared cooperage, the lower entry proof, temperature controlled modernized rick houses and proprietary filtration methods.

The Whiskey
Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye’s average barrel proof in this April 2019 release is 110.8 proof.  My bottle # 19C472 is 109.8 proof (ABV 54.9).

The color is a dark bold brown with a noticeable orange tint, and it looks quite mature, especially when sitting side by side with the 2015 release I have in my whiskey library. The whiskey is syrupy in my glass leaving an oil trail down the sides of my glass.

The nose is choke full of sweet dried prunes with hints of honeysuckle and fresh cut oak. The mouthfeel is pleasantly warm and smooth, and not hot at all for a barrel proof rye whiskey. The flavor explodes with dried peaches and prunes, baking spices, burnt brown sugar, vanilla, sweet oak evolving into a dry spicy mouthcoating of honey sweetness.

Revisiting the nose leads to revelations of dried apricot sugar and richer sensations of honeysuckle and oak. The only other time I remember experiencing the scent of honeysuckle was with the Michter’s 10 Year Old rye whiskey.

The finish is warm and oily. I experienced a distinct spearmint flavor with hints of honey and an oak spice dryness that lasted well beyond my expectations for a rye whiskey. This is an exceptionally smooth barrel strength rye whiskey, easy to drink with a full bodied and a seriously complex flavor profile.

I have the good fortune to have bottles from 2015-2018 in my personal whiskey library. So, my inner whiskey geek was really engaged here, and I did a side by side with the 2015 juice. I observed a couple of distinct differences, 2019 color is much richer and bolder and the flavor complexity leads me to believe the 2019 juice is much more mature then the original version. This is a must have bottle for rye whisky lovers.

I spoke with Kyle Lloyd, Director of Research and Development at Michter’s and he confirmed that there are many things that contribute to the overall flavor of their whiskey.  They do not disclose their mash bill but Lloyd tells me they use “a Kentucky style rye recipe,” wherein they incorporate more corn and malted barley to balance the spicy character of the rye to create a smoother, richer bodied product. Michter’s further increases the maturing quality of their whiskey through specific barrel toasting and charring, combined with the distillate’s low entry proof, a metered heat cycling of the barrels in their modern rick houses and their unique chill filtration system.

Michter’s toasts all of their barrels before charring to increase the wood’s sugars accessibility. Lloyd emphasized, “These sugars caramelize and concentrate to form the “red line” in the barrel stave, ultimately adding more flavor and color to the whiskey as it seeps through the char to the caramel red line.  Additionally, by breaking down the lignin and hemicellulose layers of the wood to a further extent than charring alone, the toasting process intensifies the flavors that are extracted from the wood during maturation.” Because of the low 103 entry proof, the water content in the distillate is higher and allows for a higher level of flavor extraction and breakdown of the desired water-soluble flavor compounds created during the toasting and charring process all of which contributes to the rich ultra-complex flavor profile.

Additionally, and I believe critical to the great full-bodied flavor, Michter’s modern warehouses use heat cycling to fluctuate the temperature of the whiskey during the winter months which allows for continued extraction and breakdown of the flavor compounds. Normally, whiskey cools down and remains dormant in a traditional non-heat-controlled rick house. However, Michter’s heat cycling allows for extra maturation by simulating multiple seasons during the life of the barrel. This Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye was stored in one of Michter’s off sight climate-controlled rick houses and the result is a delicious one-of-a kind full bodied mature rye whiskey.

The Price
The suggested retail price is $75 for a 750ml bottle.