Early on in the toasted barrel finishing craze that Michter's first championed in 2014 with their first releases of toasted barrel bourbon and rye. I remember adoring the 2018 toasted sour mash and the ever-fickle 2020 toasted rye, Both of those expressions, alongside the first release of Elijah Craig toasted barrel, were some of the first whiskeys that really nailed one of my favorite tasting notes: marshmallow.
10 years into the dynamic landscape of finishing barrels, has Michter's perfected the recipe? Are they hitting a consistent stride or continuing to innovate? Without any further insights from our busy friends at the Shively distillery, we'll just have to taste it to find out.
You may be surprised to learn that I generally disapprove of the practice of "double oaking" and "toasted barrel finishing" whiskey. The reason for this wary mind really lies in the science of barrel aging and what happens during different phases of whiskey maturation.
Even the longest open-air seasoning durations won't fully strip new white American oak of its inherent tannins. Early in the process of aging whiskey, these harsher tannins dominate the flavor profile of younger whiskey. Often this will come across as dry, chalky, or bitter in the mouth. As the years go by, these tannins get less noticeable, perhaps through precipitation or degradation of those youthful tannins or a masking impact of other powerhouse molecules like esters and aldehydes. When well-aged whiskey gets re-barreled into new oak, it is effectively de-aging whiskey. It seems really counterintuitive to me, so I've never really understood the craze to keep doing this kind of finishing. Alas, Michter's has managed to continue to pull it off pretty darn well, so I'll keep an open mind for today's exploration. Heck, I already came out and said it was one of my favorite things I tasted at Kentucky Bourbon Fest, believe it or not.
Before we move into a review, I'd like to mention that because this is a batched product, your mileage may vary if the batch number on the neck of the bottle differs from mine. Now let's go!
Company on Label: Michter's Distillery LLC
Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Kentucky bourbon mash bill (min 51% corn)
Proof: 91.4°
Age: NAS
Further identification: Batch 24H2817 was first bottled in August of 2024, I first sampled this year's release in September with Andrea Wilson at Kentucky Bourbon Fest; it's now hitting shelves at an MSRP of $110, though I was able to buy this for myself at $99.99 in Massachusetts
Nose: The aromas from a distance almost comes across like an early exploration of Jim Beam or Jack Daniel's—when you're first getting into whiskey and almost everything is new and exciting. As I lift it to my nose properly, I find bananas foster, crème caramel, and cinnamon-loaded churros. My first experience has me nodding along, thinking, "Okay, this is definitely bourbon." It's a touch thin and dry, though part of that may be due to the temperature in my neglected glass as I wrote up the introduction here. Warming my glencairn in my hands, I find salted caramel and sandy seashores. Working in deeper, a warm baked pretzel characteristic I really enjoy crops up. There's just a hint of smokiness that is reminiscent of a waft of a distant charcoal grill going on a crisp, cold evening. The empty glass smells of milk duds and mascarpone cheese.
Palate: My first sip is a stark surprise, contrasting the nose as cherry cordial, milk chocolate, and raspberry jam ooze across the taste buds. Another quick sip reiterates a fervent excitement as caramel macchiato, vanilla biscotti, and fluffy pancake slowly work their way through all my senses. It's inherently bourbony, which is rather unsurprising as what I'm sipping is a bourbon, but I find it takes it just that micro-step further and really delivers on some nuance against the classic flavors. The linger is on the shorter end, which creates an unfortunate urge to sip this faster than I normally would during a longform review tasting. Sipping later in the glass offers some lovely hints of brown sugar, molasses, and a strong linger of toffee. The finish is nearly nonexistent as a swirl of wind blows expectations out the window. As patience dwindles, I venture into my last sip. Oh my... the golden idol has been found. My Indiana Jones treasure has been found! Marshmallow, at last, if only for a fleeting moment! As the cave crumbles around me and the boulder lurches towards my impending doom, I find the comfortable embrace of the previously truant finish. Pop-Tart crust, artichoke dip, and crunchy toffee chunks come together in a truly eclectic mix.
TL;DR: Well, this was an odd pour... slightly off bourbon tones feel tampered with somehow
Rating: 3/5
Like many of the other examples of toasted barrel, I'm once again fairly disappointed with a light, fickle, young-feeling dram. I know Michter's is capable of much better than this, but I understand the need to keep filling a demand that so clearly exists. I may just need to start bowing out of that demand pool personally, as there are plenty of other offerings from the core Michter's lineup that I enjoy and a few special releases I truly adore (looking at you, Michter's 10 year rye).
Why the big dichotomy between my experience at KBF and now? I wonder if it was the phenomenon of experiences being elevated when tasting in front of the master of maturation, or perhaps it's just the natural variation batch to batch with these fickle toasted barrels. I may not have all the answers, but I sure have a well-calibrated data point for you. I hope this helps you on your whiskey journey!
