Michter’s has a long and interesting history all on its own. It started in 1753 as Shenk’s (allegedly providing whiskey for George Washington and troops during the Revolution), then became Bomberger’s in the mid-nineteenth century. After re-opening post-prohibition, the name became Michter’s. All the while this distillery, located in Pennsylvania, was making whiskey in the Pennsylvania style – that is to say, rye whiskey. So a ranking of all the bottles of Michter’s whiskey is relevant to more than just the true aficionados. It’s for the people! I had been curious about Willett for a while, but knew they were sourcing. I purposefully stayed clear of their bottles until I found a Noah’s Mill that specifically stated “distilled, aged, and bottled by Willett Distillery” because I wanted to judge them based on their own output, not on stuff they sourced. It seems Willett’s own juice is a bit polarizing now that they are bottling their own distillate, but at least they are doing their thing and stating it on the bottle! I happen to like some of their stuff, and will continue to explore. Here’s hoping Michter’s chooses more transparency down the road.

Generally speaking, when you see a whiskey labeled as “blended whiskey” or just “bourbon” (instead of “straight bourbon”), it’s a blend of whiskey with neutral grain spirits to help keep costs down and profits high. This expression is labeled as “Unblended,” specifically because it’s made with whiskey only (no grain spirits added). The whiskey in these bottles was aged in barrels that are “whiskey-soaked.” Once the whiskey is just right, it’s then blended and small-batch bottled. The shortage goes beyond just Michter’s. The world is seeing a rye shortage that will only get worse. Quite simply: rye didn’t used to be popular. People didn’t know how good it was, and distillers created amounts to match demand. And with spirits like gin or vodka that don’t age (generally), that can easily be rectified. But with whiskey, the offset between distilling and releasing is a matter of years.

16. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

With Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye sporting an 84.8 proof point, it’s rather perplexing as many brands have moved away from the 80 proof range. Michter’s has always gone for the most widespread appeal with their brands, so perhaps this shouldn’t be too surprising. With a noteworthy array of flavors, hitting a 90-100 proof range would have likely put them in an even better spotlight, elevating this rye to a higher level. Michter’s showpiece location, the “Fort Nelson Distillery,” is in downtown Louisville. Though this building has “a legendary historic distillation system,” the company’s Shively facility (DSP KY-20003) actually houses Michter’s processing and bottling operations. Two experimental pot stills were augmented by the addition of a 46-foot column still and doubler setup in 2014. Distilling appears to have commenced (judging by photos of the facility), but that doesn’t mean we’re yet tasting anything that Michter’s has produced itself. Either way, I’m not writing this for them. I’m writing this for the other segment of Malt’s readership, the ones who believe that production processes have a direct impact on the flavors of the resultant whiskey, and that maximum transparency about these processes allows us to make better-informed decisions about what whiskey is likely to taste better. To us, a great whiskey story is a story of making great whiskey, whether or not it features former presidents, heirloom recipes, infamous gangsters, Vikings, etc. Palate: That fruit becomes more dried and almost salted on the palate while bourbon vanilla and mild caramel sweetness mingle with cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, we are presented with a big, immediate rush of woody spice and baking spice, along with significant tobacco and toasted oak. The rye grain is there, with classical rye spice and pepper, along with more savory tobacco, along with milk chocolate and plum-like dark stone fruit. At the same time, however, it’s really the oak that steals the whole show, contributing complex spice box and marshmallow notes, along with significant tannin that leads to a fairly dry finish to what begins as a pretty sweet entry.

This latter category doesn’t include Michter’s, and I doubt it ever will. I suspect they’ve been too commercially successful with the procure-and-pretend model to ever pivot to their own production, absent some seismic change in the availability of sourced whiskey. Michter’s diehard stans and those newer to the hobby will likely continue their tireless pursuit of bottles from this resurrected and repurposed brand. For my part, I’ll continue pounding the drum of truth and transparency so that others – should they decide to buy a bottle of Michter’s – know what they’re getting, or at least know what they don’t know about what they’re getting. Michter’s likes to say its 10-year rye “continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company.” The distillery ties its history to Shenk’s, which opened in Pennsylvania in 1753 – and, no doubt, made Monongahela Rye. That distillery eventually became Bomberger which, following Prohibition and another couple of decades, became Michter’s. Nose: Orchard fruits, butterscotch candies, and vanilla cake greet you on the nose with a hint of wooden spice. I’ll say no more about my hopes or expectations. Rather, let’s let the whiskey do the talking… Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye – ReviewIt also meant a lot to see a woman in this top position, being a very young woman just getting into whiskey.

OK, so: sourced whiskey is largely a rip-off and should be avoided. What makes it doubly annoying is that some of these brands actually seem to engender the type of passionate fandom typically reserved for real distilleries. A misplaced loyalty evolves, with benighted admirers convincing themselves that there’s something special and wonderful about this essentially transactional approach to selling whiskey.Already we’re seeing younger releases coming to market, and that will continue, in addition to just seeing less rye whiskey altogether. We’re also going to see new and more experimental rye whiskies– which I think is only a good thing, in an industry built upon creativity and innovation. And another hopeful caveat to that – a decade or so down the line, we’re going to be seeing some really, really good aged ryes coming out. I guess the one point in favor of sourcing is if (and a big IF) the bottler truly does have a unique process or recipe. Like Old Elk, for example, who use a unique-to-them mash bill. Sure, it’s sourced by MGP, but you can’t just go out elsewhere and get a high-malt mash bill under another MGP label or brand name (not that I’m aware of, anyway). Still, why not be transparent about it (at least Old Elk appears to be fairly transparent in this)? Instead they have opted to expand production. They’ve added six large fermenters, extended hours on the main distillery so as to run 24/7, and added new and improved bottling equipment. However, we’re years from the true output of these additions, and will have to make do with less in the meantime.