Bourbon Season 2020 - Part 5 // Michter’s Bourbon Whiskey
Part 5 in my ongoing Bourbon Season 2020 series brings me to a brand that I’ve always enjoyed and talked about to fellow whisky enthusiasts, but which I have never properly written about on the blog, except for a special release review last year. Time to change that! In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be reviewing Michter’s core range. First up, their classic Bourbon Whiskey. Enjoy!
Exploring Michter’s
The first time I was ‘properly’ introduced to the Michter’s brand was when I attended “Spirits in the Sky”, a spirits festival traditionally held in November in Brussels. At this festival, I met Sandra Winters, brand ambassador of the Michter’s distillery. Our mutual love for flowery patterns and Michter’s expressions resulted in me getting to know the brand a bit better. Now, a couple of years later, I’m spending time to explore their core range and their distinct character.
There are plenty of Michter’s facts that are worthwhile to mention. For starters, they can trace back their historical legacy to 1753, the year the first whiskey distillery was opened on American soil. This is also the inspiration for the “US1” range, containing a Kentucky straight bourbon, an unblended American whiskey, a sour mash whiskey, and a Kentucky straight rye. Their straight rye is actually a single barrel release, and the rest are all ‘small batches’, meaning that there are not more than 20 casks used per batch for their releases.
Another thing I’d like to mention, has to do with Michter’s conscious choice to have a lower ABV in its distillate, which means that the strength of the spirit pre-cask maturation is lower than most other distilleries. Normally, distillates measure around 69% ABV before they are put in casks for maturation, at least according to Scottish standards. Michter’s opts for a lower alcohol level of their distillate. Their reasoning: it is historically more accurate than using higher ABVs, and it provides for a smoother and richer mouthfeel. Here’s the full quote from their website:
“Although the typical industry entry proof is 125 proof, we believe that the lower 103 proof (51.5% ABV) level - which was historically regarded as the gold standard in Kentucky – allows for the concentrated sugars in the toasted and charred wood to dissolve more readily into the distillate as it cycles in and out of the barrel. Even though the lower entry proof yields fewer bottles per barrel, we believe that the smooth flavor and richer mouthfeel makes it worth it.“ (michters.com)
The first expression I’d like to review in this series is the Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, matured in fire-charred, new American white oak barrels (as is required for it to be called bourbon), and botted at 45.7% ABV. Since this series is called “bourbon* season”, it’s best to try out their bourbon first. Expectations are high, though, as none of their “US1” whiskies is ever released without the approval of their Master Distiller Dan McKee and his tasting panel.
* Yes, I am well aware that I don’t always review bourbon expressions in the “bourbon season” series, but I found that that name really stuck with me as I was thinking about a theme…
Michter’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - Tasting Notes
Before I delve into the scents and flavors, the bread and butter of any whisky review, I’d like to say something about the color of this bourbon. I don’t believe color says a lot or even anything about the quality of a spirit, whether it’s bourbon, whisky, cognac, or rum. Some brands use food dyes to make sure that the product always looks the same, no matter the batch, and honestly, I tend to stay clear of the discussion altogether by not taking the color of the liquid into account.
That being said, sometimes I do steer into it. It is, after all, a ‘trick of the brain’. Take a look at that color. Do it. Doesn’t that look inviting, warming, and pleasant to the eye? I think it does. It has a nice ‘brown leather wax’ vibe to it. I like that.
Okay, back to the task at hand. Tasting notes. What kind of scents do I pick up, what kind of flavors delight my palate? Well, first of all, I always get a certain scent with Michter’s that I describe as ‘carrot-like’. Don’t ask me why, my brain is wired like that. Specifically, the fresh scent of grated carrot / carrot juice. There’s a note of that in every Michter’s expression I’ve tasted so far. I’d love to know if there’s scientific / chemical validity to this claim. So if anyone from Michter’s is reading this, please ask around and let me know via social media if I’m completely bonkers or if there’s at least a certain truth to this.
Furthermore, I’m also getting a sweeter note, like vanilla, and a warmer note too. A bit of caramel, as well. And then there’s a distinct note of pastry, straight from the oven. Specifically, my girlfriend’s cinnamon buns which, because they are gluten-free, are often a bit more doughy than regular cinnamon buns. So yeah, that’s the note I’m getting. They say “write/taste from experience”, well I hope anyone can relate to these notes.
As for flavors, this bourbon is slightly above the other bourbons I have tasted so far. It’s a bit silkier, a bit smoother, a little stickier on the tongue. There’s some spices, a bit of caramel, and then it moves on to more wood notes as the liquid dries out on my tongue. A ‘slightly above the usual’ bourbon experience, and a good example of a whiskey where the nose is more complex than the palate. The finish offers a little dry element, and lasts just long enough to fall into the ‘medium-length’ category.
This bourbon is another easy sipper. It’s smooth, but lacks a bit of complexity. I have a feeling it was a good choice to start with this expression in their core range. From this point onwards, you can move towards expressions that are ‘a bit more complex’. On its own, a decent bourbon. When compared to the rest of their core range, more of a ‘central expression’ to use in relation to the other whiskies.
