As pandemic conditions worsened in the country this past spring, distilleries kept chugging along, keeping our shelves filled with the sweet amber nectar. Back in April, Michter’s announced the release of their limited production 10-year-old bourbon. The press release mentioned review samples weren’t going out due to “current conditions.” Bummer. No worries – I’d just have to start asking around my local shops for a bottle. Poor me… I know. #firstworldproblems

Fast forward a couple of months to a package arriving, containing Michter’s latest 10-year-old bourbon and rye whiskey bottling. Michter’s doesn’t release a lot of this stuff, which adds to the difficulty of spotting a bottle on the shelf. I can’t blame folks for rushing to buy these whiskies – they’re among the distillery’s top offerings and very often rank among my favorite American whiskies.

Like past releases, the May 2020 edition of Michter’s 10-year-old bourbon is a single barrel offering bottled at 94.4 proof, or 47.2% abv. My sample came from barrel 20D723. As a single barrel product, while the overall flavor profile may be similar, expect subtle changes in flavors and aromas from barrel to barrel. Suggested retail pricing is $130.

Michter’s is still utilizing their contract-distilled whiskies for these releases. We won’t see the distillate from their Shively distillery for a few years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some of their fantastic aged whiskies they have maturing in their rickhouses.

The nose is a subtle at first, but opens up after a few moments. It features hints of brown sugar and espresso with some cinnamon and orange peel. Vanilla bean provides a nice aromatic note. Taste-wise, that rich mouthfeel I associate with Michter’s is there, probably due to the low barrel entry proof of the whiskey. Waves of brown sugar and toffee give way to tingling oak spice, burnt orange peel and cinnamon. The back palate sees the introduction of a slight earthiness. The slightly sweet and spicy finish is long and warming.

I can’t say enough good things about Michter’s 10-year-old bourbon. My only beef is I wish there was more available. At just under 95 proof, the whiskey is designed to be a great sipper as is, so no water or ice needed. They’ve found an exquisite flavor profile for this expression and have been sticking to it the last few years. If you find one, buy it. And if for some reason you don’t like it, I’d be happy to take it off your hands.

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

Booker’s second batch of 2020 has been released. Titled “Boston Batch,” this release pays homage to Jim Beam’s Booker Noe Distillery in Boston, KY. Late Master Distiller Booker Noe spent a lot of his time there. Since the distillery stood in the shadow of Jim Beam’s primary Clermont distillery, Noe was able to experiment a bit without much corporate interference. The legendary Booker’s Rye Whiskey was created there.

The youngest barrels in “Boston Batch” are 6 years, 3 months, and 10 days old. It’s been bottled at cask strength (63.25%, or 126.5 proof). The slightly bright nose is classic Booker’s – caramel corn, roasted peanuts, and loads of vanilla. Sweet and salty peanuts dominate the entry. A wave of vanilla adds a bit more sweetness, which is tempered by some baking spices. A touch of earthiness shows face before the long, warm finish.

The young age of some of the barrels lends the whiskey a vibrancy not normally found. I say young, but remember – Booker’s is typically 6 to 8 years old. All in all, “Boston Batch” is another great addition to the Booker’s story, though it doesn’t rank among the brand’s best releases.

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

Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald bottled-in-bond lineup continues with the Spring 2020 release. Like the rest of the revamped lineup, Old Fitzgerald comes to us as a 9-year-old bottled-in-bond bourbon. That means it is bottled at 100 proof, is at least four years old, produced by one distillery, and was distilled in one distillation season. Old Fitzgerald is made from Heaven Hill’s wheated bourbon mash bill, which uses wheat as the secondary grain.

The nose supplies hints of toasted wheat bread, honey, and some ripe, fresh fruit. Taste-wise, brown sugar and baking spices give way to vanilla cream. Some oaky astringency appears in the back palate. The finish is warming and sweet, with lingering notes of spiced honey and orange peel.

The oak and sweet notes don’t appear to be completely in sync with one another, which keeps this release from being excellent. The Spring 2020 release of Old Fitzgerald is an overall solid effort. It’s as good if not better than the previous 9-year-old expression released in 2018. Nonetheless, fans of Old Fitz should be happy with this one.

Thanks to Heaven Hill for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.