Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Review (2018)

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Of all the whiskeys in the Michter’s line up, my favorite has become the 10 Year Old Single Barrel Rye. Some are better whiskeys, but also near impossible to get and dramatically more expensive. I have a short list of whisk(e)ys I’d be willing to pay $100 to $200 a bottle for to keep one on my shelf, and this is on that list. It’s that good.

The thing to keep in mind, though, is that it’s both a limited edition and a single barrel. Neither of those terms embraces the term “consistent flavor profile.” My 2018 bottle was good, but turned out to be not quite as good as I had anticipated. Thus, it’s a good reminder that someone else’s barrel of ambrosia doesn’t suit all tastes.

The Whiskey
A pour of Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye is clear and coppery. The swish of the glass puts a thick coat on it, and mine gave me just one skinny, little, slow-moving leg.

As is the main for this expression, it’s brown sugar and vanilla sweet and spicy, plus modest notes of tobacco leaf. In the past, though, it’s had a dry, toasty aspect that accented the spiciness, and this particular barrel didn’t have that. Instead, it ran mellow and murky. Imagine gingerbread turned dark and you’ve got the idea.

Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye is bottled at 92.8 proof (46.4% ABV). Make no mistake, this is still a good whiskey, but it straddled the line between A- and B+ for me. I like murky, moody pours, but not necessarily in conjunction with these other elements.

The Price
The recommended retail price on Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye is $160 now, but the good news is that (in my experience) you can often find it for the recommended price; there is not a lot of retailer mark-up on this item.