By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
The longer I have been acquainted with it, the more I have come to believe that Michter’s Sour Mash Whiskey is neither bourbon nor rye not just in a categorical sense, but on the senses as well. Despite its mash bill being kept in the shadows, it is known that Michter’s Sour Mash bears the name it does because its proportions of corn and rye are below the 51% mark required to be either a bourbon or rye whiskey. The flavor profile reflects that, having a character wholly separate from either bourbon or rye whiskey (especially Kentucky style, high corn rye whiskey).
The whiskey is a revival of what was the brand’s best seller in the 1970s and 1980s, the crash and post-crash decades of the American Whiskey industry. A similar concoction at a different distillery, one lacking that historical hook to work with, may well have called it a Kentucky or American whiskey (indeed, Michter’s has another product called American Whiskey). Yes, it is made using the sour mash process, but so is everything else from their distillery.
Another feature of whiskey-making at Michter’s is their series of Toasted Barrel Finish whiskeys. Three of their house products–bourbon, rye and sour mash–periodically get a release that has received a round of secondary maturation in new toasted oak barrels. Finally, any expression outside the core line-up is a periodic limited edition, because it does not come out annually, nevermind arriving at the same time every year. The last time we saw a batch of Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash was in 2022.
The Whiskey
Bottled at 86 proof (just like the main Sour Mash), the whiskey holds a clear middle amber look in the glass. The nose smacked of balanced blend of molasses, cinnamon, vanilla and cedar. On the palate, the molasses becomes more like honey, the vanilla turns to earthy caramel, the cedar is more tannic and oaky, and the cinnamon flowers into a cookie spice blend. On the finish, that evolution contracts and turns halfway back on itself, reverting back to molasses before fading down to oak again.
The Price
The MSRP on this item is $110.
