Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Background

Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel comes from an unknown distillery and bottled up by Michter’s. No idea where this Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel comes from, but some speculate Brown-Forman and I can see similarities. Brown-Forman has a distinct flavor profile to me, and Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel seem ballpark. Other rumors suggest Heaven Hill, and that might correct too, but maybe for different Michter’s offerings. Or not. I honestly don’t care about solving these mysteries.

The catch with non-distiller producers is you typically don’t know where the whiskey you’re drinking was made. Which isn’t that big of a deal, but it can make you wonder if the next bottle will be the same. I’ve tried a 2-3 different batches of Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel from 2014 and they were all pretty good. You’re just basically trusting the people behind the label to either keep a steady supply or pick out something similar.

Details

10 Years Old. Bottled at 47.2%. Barrel 14H505. No guess on mash bill. MSRP – $120 (2016 Price)

Aroma

Phenolic, cloves, bananas. Vanilla wafers. Banana cream pie. Leathery-sandalwood. Charred oak.



Flavor

Dark, rich vanilla dark caramel, and maple syrup. Raisins. Sweet. Oaky with alcohol warmth.

Overall

Not only is this some nice Bourbon, but Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel is unlike most other Bourbons on my shelf. The nose is big and rich with what seems an interesting fermentation profile and ample barrel character. There’s mild astringency to what otherwise seems to be nice a woody. Dark sugars and deep flavors give a sweet and rich personality.

So, yeah, this is pretty good stuff. Again, no telling what future batches will bring, but best I can tell 2014 was a winner. Pricing is a bit steep and available is slim, so this goes into the specialty bottle category. Assuming you can find a 2014 bottle and/or future batches are similar, this is a solid buy for the experience and a little variety on the Bourbon shelf.

With all that said, unique can cut both ways. I’m not sure if I’m just projecting, but I can see the Brown-Forman connection. I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that if you like Old Forester 100 , then you’ll likely enjoy Michter’s 10 Year.

Recommendation

Buy Again – 4/5 Rating

(My 5 point scale: Pass, Try a Glass, Buy a Bottle, Buy Again, Shut Up and Take My Money – Bottle price is taken into consideration for recommendations.)

Links & Other Reviews