Brian’s Michter’s Single Barrel US1 Rye Review:
reviewed 13-April-2021
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE REVIEW:
Michter’s Single Barrel US-1 Rye (Michter’s SiB Rye) is a nice departure from the bourbons I have been drinking. While I sipped, I had to be mindful of “bourbon bias” as this fine rye was enjoyed. Definitely not a sweet whiskey, this one is spicy and wood forward. While your bottle will likely be different than mine (it is a single barrel expression after all), Michter’s SiB Rye is a good one and I look forward to the next pour and will be on the lookout for another bottle.
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE VITAL STATS:
Category: Kentucky Straight Single Barrel Rye
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Distillery: Michter’s Distillery
Mash Bill: Unpublished but believed to be at least 51% rye, corn, and malted barley. Suspected to include a high percentage of corn.
Cooperage: Fire-charred, new American white oak barrels
Barrel entry proof: 103
Barrel #: 21A001
Chill Filtered
Age: unpublished, but at least 2 years old
ABV: 42.4% (84.8 Proof)
Price: $40.95 (USD in Idaho 2021)
Learn more at https://michters.com/.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, the whiskey was enjoyed neat from Glencairns with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this rye here!
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE NOSE:
Michter’s SiB Rye smells dry, warm and inviting. Easy nosing brings on a lavender potpourri, but roasted corn and dusty grain dominate on strong draws. I also sense dark fruits of plums and dried prunes and spices of cinnamon, powdered ginger, and allspice. For me, the rye presents as toasted bread. For sweets, I get a little maple sugar candy, woody burnt caramel, dark molasses and a few toasted pecans. I also get plenty of dry-seasoned toasted wood along with hazy barrel char and a trace of old leather.
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE PALATE:
Michter’s SiB Rye drinks dry and warm. I sense cigar ash and bitter citrus zest, but neither are off-putting. Continued sipping brings spices of black pepper and rye, which is fitting as I taste buttered rye toast as well. Like I sensed on the nose, its sweetness is scant with just a bit of dark molasses and burnt sugar coming through. To me, this is wood forward, but not strong in any way. While dry and seasoned, I get more hazy toasted barrel char and well oiled leather than anything else.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Michter’s SiB Rye is well balanced. Each sip is viscous, oily and rich and gives the mouth and pleasantly prickles the tongue. It’s definitely not a high proof whiskey but it drinks warmer than one might expect from a 42.4% ABV whiskey. In the Glencairn, each sip’s curtain breaks into fat legs, gliding the liquid to the carrot colored bowl, leaving behind a big droplet inverted crown.
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE FINISH:
Michter’s SiB Rye has a medium dry and toasted barrel char finish. I also get a hint of juicy plum jam thinly spread over the previously mentioned rye toast, which is nice. There’s also a slight wisp of citrus, but overall, warmth in the throat is the only lingering finishing trait. When the Glencairn is emptied, dry toasted oak and a little caramel is easy to nose.
MY RATING: 88/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
I am a fan of Michter’s products and this rye will not disappoint.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Michter’s.
MICHTER’S SINGLE BARREL US1 RYE TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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