Michter’s! What else can we say about Michter’s whiskeys that we have’t said already? I believe Michter’s needs no introduction because you should know by now that Michter’s is solid. Michter’s is like the high school quarterback who doesn’t lose a game, the guy who parts the crowds like Moses just by walking down the hall. Good looking, popular, solid. That’s Michter’s. The quarterback who can write an essay.
I have been lucky to get some of these bottles in my hot little hands, including the 2019 (which got five stars) and the 2017 (4.5 stars). So I was psyched to see if/how the 2020 version lived up to its predecessors.
Tasting Notes: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon (2020)
Vital Stats: About $130; 94.4 proof (47.2% ABV); came out in May; aged in specially chosen, new charred American white oak barrels.
Appearance: It looks light in the bottle, but there’s a depth to it in the glass. It’s the color of the orange that shows up on a tortoiseshell kitten. Or the hue of cinnamon bark, with a fine dusting of nutmeg. Fall is here!
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Nose: To all the other Michter’s I’ve sniffed before: You’re less strong than this one. This whiskey punches a little assertive. Cinnamon comes through the nose as well as eyes. I smell a more exotic fruit blend than the usual cherry: Think dried mango. Even pandan.
Palate: Once again, Michter’s refuses to disappoint (and given 2020, THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT). I will say it doesn’t have the caramel or butterscotch quality I consider common among the other versions I’ve sampled. This is gingery, more savory. You will get an initial kick. Almost rye-like. This is not dessert, this is dinner. It reminds me of a curry in that there’s a lot going on but there is an end result that’s fairly cohesive.
There’s a slight sourness, but it’s balanced–like the pickled mango you might find alongside a Indian curry, The mouthfeel is a little thinner than others, too. That said, it’s still tasty AF.
