Michter's, Small Batch No. 1, Unblended American Whiskey (41.7%)
About this SPIRIT
Michter's
Michter’s is a rye and Bourbon whiskey distillery in Kentucky. It was previously known as Shenk’s and, later, Bomberger’s.
The company was originally founded in 1753 in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania by farmer John Shenk. The distillery shut its doors in 1919 with the introduction of Prohibition. It was reopened when Prohibition was repealed and would change hands several times in the decades to follow. The Michter’s name was introduced in the 1950s by its then part-owner Lou Forman; Michter’s is a portmanteau of Michael and Peter, his sons’ names. The operation was revived in the 1990s by Joseph J. Magliocco and Richard “Dick” Newman.
The master distiller at Michter’s is Dan McKee. Michter’s Bourbon is produced from a mash bill featuring high-quality American corn; its rye whiskey comes from American rye grain. Notably, the barrels used for maturation are toasted before charring, which imparts further flavour and colour to the whiskeys.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
A firm personal favourite from the Michter's range, this unblended American whiskey is aged in previously used whiskey barrels (rather than new, charred barrels), and thus cannot legally be called a Bourbon. That's a pity because it is delicious, with a luscious structure, without excess tannin, that is hugely moreish. The palate shows waves of toffee, fudge and caramels allied to the sweet grain so typical of American whiskies and, on the finish, tiny hints of citrus zest.
Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (November 2024)
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