By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
This is one of those whiskeys that I feel should need no introduction or summary, but that said: it is among my personal favorites, one of the expressions I point to as being undoubtedly worth the (official) asking price. I’ll start with the mash bill. At a time when the rye content for many rye whiskeys is 70% or higher, Michter’s is a not-legacy, Kentucky style rye. That is to say, it is Kentucky style because it is made with a rye content just barely high enough to satisfy the Federal minimum of 51%; the exact number is not known, but is hinted to be in the low-to-middle 50s. This is despite Michter’s brand roots in Pennsylvania (known for robust, high rye content whiskeys). I say not-legacy because the modern Michter’s is a new company compared to the Kentucky Majors.
I suspect the choice to go with a Kentucky style rye stems from Michter’s contract production era, when they were “cooking in someone else’s kitchen” as Michter’s honcho Joe Magliocco likes to put it. Rye is notoriously gummy in the mash, and I’ve often wondered if their contract producer balked at the idea of making a higher rye mash because of it. Or perhaps they went that route because that was what their people knew how to do, which is how Kentucky rye came into being in the first place. The style started because when those mid-20th Century Kentucky bourbon distillery managers were asked to make rye by their corporate bosses, they did it as close to bourbon as they could (i.e. plenty of corn in the mash). People like Jimmy Russell stuck to what they knew and what their equipment could readily handle.
The expression bears a 10 year age statement, but it has been hinted in the past and is generally believed that most barrels chosen for it are substantially older. That rumor matters, as this is a single barrel, so you may buy a bottle from a middle aged rather than a quite mature barrel of whiskey. The whiskey undergoes Michter’s proprietary filtration process before cutting and bottling at 92.8 proof.
Although technically an annual limited edition, it is in practice periodic. In a practice originated by Michter’s first (in modern times) Master Distiller, Willie Pratt, the company will pass on a year if it doesn’t feel it has enough barrels of sufficient quality to merit a bottling. That practice earned Pratt the nickname of “Dr. No,” and it continues under his successor Dan McKee.
The Whiskey
My pour into a copita glass had a middle amber-to-bronze look to it. Those nose suggested one of the spiciest examples of a Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye I’ve sampled, and I’ve been trying them for more than a decade now. The nose is spearmint, evergreen, ginger and anise over a nearly smothered base of fruit. The palate is sweeter, with brown sugar and vanilla coming closer to center stage, but not quite reaching it, because the oak and baking spices standing there won’t yield it. The finish is spiciest of all, but still mild for it, and leaves an earthy chocolate note behind as that spiciness fades away.
The Price
Officially, Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye is now $210, which is actually $15 higher than their 10 year old bourbon. In my opinion, if you can afford to put down two Benjamins for a bottle of whiskey, then this one is worth it. The market value, however, is $310.
