Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Rye Review – 2020 Release
This is a bottle full of goodness all around; silken yet full bodied; lush in texture but busily spicy with fruit notes. If you can make rye whiskey candy, solidify this. It’s a delight to hold in your mouth and roll around as the honeyed texture gives way to tingly spice and slightly drying oak.
BOTTLES DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Bottled by Michter's Distillery. Whiskey is contract distilled per Michter's mash bill and instructions, while Michter's is distilling their own whiskey for future release.
- MASH BILL: Undisclosed, but as a Kentucky-style rye, it’s heavy on corn
- Cooperage: Fire charred, new American white oak barrels
- AGE: 10 years
- YEAR: 2020
- PROOF: 92.8 Proof (46.4% ABV)
- MSRP: $160.00
- BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com
STEVE'S NOTES
NOSE: Bubble Gum | Cooked Pears and Peaches| Warmed Marshmallow
TASTE: Cinnamon-Honey Syrup | Caramel Corn| Dill | Roasted Pineapple
FINISH: Soft, silken, then tingly and warming.
SHARE WITH: Any fan of rye, especially Kentucky ryes if said fans lean toward high-rye bourbons. Were it not for this whiskey’s grain-forward finish, it could easily pass for a bourbon.
WORTH THE PRICE: $160 is steep, but dang this is a good whiskey! But it’s also released to a marketplace where the same price is what far lesser products ask and sell for. So, all in all, yes, worth it.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Recall what I said about the steep price? $160 is a bit much for my budget, but surely well within others’. If you can afford it, bottle all the live-long day.
OVERALL: This is a bottle full of goodness all around; silken yet full bodied; lush in texture but busily spicy with fruit notes. If you can make rye whiskey candy, solidify this. It’s a delight to hold in your mouth and roll around as the honeyed texture gives way to tingly spice and slightly drying oak. I mentioned in my review of the 2020 Michter’s 10 year bourbon release that it was my favorite bottling of that product ever. I’ll declare the same about this 10-year rye. It’s brilliant, bright, inviting and wide-open delicious. It’s as good a Kentucky rye as I’ve ever enjoyed.
POPS' NOTES
NOSE: Crisp Rye | Faint Vanilla | Toasted Oak Spice | Green Apple
TASTE: Vanilla Butter Cream | Ripe Fruits | Baking Spices
FINISH: Warm and long, with layers of baking spices, toasted oak and a hint of mint.
SHARE WITH: This is a pour to share with those you're looking to impress - your boss, father-in-law, or a new client. It will also put you in a good position with your whiskey loving friends.
WORTH THE PRICE: $160 is a lot of money and for most people it's not an option. For those with the cash to spend, it's worth grabbing if you can find it.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Budget minded folks will want to try this out at a bar. Those with the expendable funds should get a bottle if the opportunity presents itself.
OVERALL: I absolutely loved the 2019 Single Barrel Rye release and this is another great pour. But it's not quite as memorable as last year's bottle. Don't get me wrong, I will drink the shit out of this one again but given the choice, I'd pick up another bottle of last year's release over this one.
BRAND NOTES
One of our most limited production items, Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company (Michter’s, originally known as Shenk’s). After a nearly three year absence from the market, Michter’s then Master Distiller Willie Pratt finally gave the green light for the re-release of Michter’s 10 Year Straight Rye in April 2014.
TASTING NOTES: Deep notes of vanilla and toffee, toasted almonds and cinnamon with an ample dose of crushed pepper and a hint of orange citrus.
MICHTER’S RELEASES 10 YEAR OLD SINGLE BARREL RYE 2020
LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 8, 2020 -- This month, Louisville based Michter's Distillery will begin shipping the 2020 release of its 10 Year Single Barrel Rye.
"This will be the only release of our 10 Year Rye this year because we continue to be in a position where we need to allocate our whiskeys," commented Michter's President Joseph J. Magliocco. "I am very grateful to our team for the terrific job they have been doing." While Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery has been shut since mid-March, Michter's Shively Distillery has continued to distill and bottle.
"I just love Kentucky style rye because it has not only great spice, but also the richness and the balance that comes from having a fair amount of corn and malted barley in the mashbill. And I think the 2020 release of our 10 Year Rye is an outstanding example of Kentucky style rye," said Michter's Master Distiller Dan McKee.
"There is nothing quite like really good rye distillate that's been aged with thoughtful care for over a decade in a barrel that was toasted and then charred and in a warehouse that has been heat cycled to produce a deep, rich flavor profile perfect for sipping," commented Michter's Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.
The suggested U.S. retail price per 750ml bottle of Michter's 10 Year Rye is $160.
Beyond its main distillery in the Shively section of Louisville, Michter's operations extend to two other sites in Kentucky. In Springfield, Michter's is farming estate grown grain on its 145-acre property, while in downtown Louisville, Michter's has its second distillery in the historic Fort Nelson building. Situated in a prime location on West Main Street opposite Louisville Slugger and on the same block as the Frazier Museum, Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery features the legendary pot still system from Michter's Pennsylvania Distillery. When open, it also has educational tours with whiskey tastings as well as The Bar at Fort Nelson, which features classic cocktails curated by spirits and cocktail historian David Wondrich.
Disclaimer: Michter's provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.