Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye 2015
- Style: Rye
- Grain/Mash-bill: Rye , Corn, Malted Barley
- Country: United States
- Region: Kentucky
- Distillery: Michter’s
- Bottler: OB
- ABV: 54%
- Proof: 108
- Year: 2015
- Cask Type: Bourbon Barrel
- Cask Number: 15C210
Overall Character: Simple, strong spicy and sweet, but mostly spicy.
| Nose: Marzipan, butterscotch, fudge, nutmeg and some sweet berries with feint cocoa.
| Palate: Spicy and surprisingly simple. Not as sweet as the nose at all, but a nice balance of sweet and spicy. However, it’s mostly your classic caramel, cinnamon and pepper. There are trace amounts of fruit and other baking spices, but nothing complex. In fact, I don’t think it’s even as complex as the standard [diluted] strength Michter’s, at about 1/3rd the price.
| Finish: A unique finish, as the flavor is short, but the heat and spice is quite long. There are notes of oak and coffee grounds, with more pepper.
| Overall: The nose is great, and the cask strength makes it nice, but in rare form I might actually like the standard rye better. It has more rye whiskey characteristics and complexity. Sure enough, water brings those characteristics out with this one, but it’s still not quite as balanced and enjoyable as the standard version. Plus, it really is plain and rather uninteresting, in my opinion. And at US$80 (2015), it’s 3-4 times the price of the standard Michter’s rye. So, I’d still put my money on that. Typically, cask strength should be the same, once water is added, as the original. However, for some reason, regardless of the water I used, I couldn’t find the flavor profile I was expecting. Still, that’s not to say it’s a bad whiskey. It’s still quite nice and high quality. Plus, since it’s rare, you shouldn’t pass it up if you can find it. For now, at least.
8.4 / 10