We all know that whiskey tasting is very subjective. After all, we all have our preferences of flavor profiles. When it comes to rye whiskey, I tend to reach for ryes that have a little more age as opposed to young 2-3 year old expressions. Not that I don’t care for younger rye, I simply prefer a little more barrel influence. Just like with bourbon, I like my ryes in the 8-10 year old range.

Michter’s 10-year-old rye checks all the boxes for me. It’s got just the right amount of barrel influence and bottled at a nice sipping proof – 92.8 proof, or 46.6% abv.

As you may or may not know, this whiskey isn’t from Michter’s Distillery in Shively, KY. Instead, it was contract distilled at least 10 years ago with Michter’s mashbill, a closely guarded secret. According to Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee, there’s “a fair amount of corn and malted barley I the mashbill.”

On the nose, Michter’s 10-year-old Rye sees notes of dark caramelized sugars, buttered rye toast, baking spices, and a touch of aromatic vanilla. Like other Michter’s expressions, this one has a rich mouthfeel. Waves of spiced dark caramel hit the palate first, closely followed by a nice amount of baking spices. There’s a hint of orange peel and slightly sharp rye grain followed by some tobacco and toasted oak appearing on the back palate. The finish is medium-long and warming.

My oh my. Michter’s has certainly keep the bar high with their 10-year-old releases as of late, and this 2020 release is no exception. The SRP is $160, and if you can find it for close to that amount, you should certainly buy it. This release is certainly among my favorite ryes I’ve tasted this year. Enough typing – I’m going to have another glass…

Thanks to Michter’s for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.