Michter’s US*1 Unblended American Whiskey
Kentucky, USA
(NAS)
ABV: 41.7%
Price: £50.96
Distillery:
1753 - first US distillery – Shenk’s
1850s - became Bomberger’s
1919 - prohibition – distillery closed but reopened after prohibition repealed
1950s - Distillery owner created Michter brand – from the names of his two sons, Michael & Peter
1989 - US whiskey industry downturn > bankruptcy
1990 - Brand repurchased and new premises opened in Kentucky
Today - now have three locations in Kentucky
Whiskey:
- Made in small batches – max of 20 barrels
- Technically not bourbon due to its ageing in previously used bourbon-soaked barrels as opposed to new oak
- Casks are ‘heat cycled’ during maturation to raise and lower the temperatures in the barrel warehouses to induce extra cycles within a given year. This practice is extremely costly because heat cycling significantly increases the "Angel Share" evaporation during aging, but in most cases enhances the flavour of the whiskey
Taste summary:
Very fruity and sweet, toffee and butterscotch, enlivened by toasty notes and a hint of vanilla and dried fruit.
Nose:
Pronounced candied sweetness - like Fruit Salad sweets, along with subtle peachiness, barrel-char notes and a faint buttery note. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg and also a hint of fresh menthol and candied orange peel.
Palate:
Soft mouthfeel, with a good balance between sweet spice and gentle fruitiness. The spiciness takes charge, accompanied by notes of barrel char and a pleasant note of leather and tobacco, but there’s more than enough toffee and butterscotch notes to sweeten things up. Very easy drinking.
Finish:
Well balanced, with the sweet spices gently fading.