Michter's US*1 Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye (2021 Release)

Nose opens with…ok wow. Dried fruit (lemon, lime, orange), rye spice, oatmeal, mint, pepper, and green oak. Aroma is complex, punchy, and devoid of ethanol. Enticing. On the palate, this is the epitome of a “sweet and spicy” rye. There’s a lot going on here and I will try to capture as much as possible. Sweetness in the form of poppyseed muffin, dehydrated apple chips, lime, and molasses. Spicy in the form of cinnamon, black pepper, chili pepper, and raw rye grain. Ever had a rye Triscuit? There’s some of that in here. Flavors are rich and robust. Finish turns decidedly spicy and lasts what seems like forever. Herbals make themselves known with peppermint, anise, more chili pepper, oregano, and dill. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sparkly, and dry as bone and while no way a flaw, is the only part of this whiskey that is less than absolutely stellar. Quite possibly the best rye to ever grace my lips. Kind of quintessential; not too herbal, not too sweet, not too spicy (although it might come close on that one) At the $150 I overpaid when I found it in the wild, I can’t say I in any way regret the purchase. Would I buy it again at 33% markup? Probably.

Compared to the barrel strength toasted rye there is noticeably less oak on the nose. A bit of honey up front. The finish is dominated by rye spice that just lasts and lasts. Smooth and almost no burn. This is a nice whiskey but is a bit one dimensional. I may be in the minority here but this is probably my least favorite rye from Michter's. I really enjoy the campfire notes in the toasted barrel, the complexity of the 10 year and the vanilla notes in the standard rye. This isn't bad but considering the price tag you could do better. Barrel 21B375. Proof 106.8.

Angel’s Envy Finished Rye has a maple syrup/Christmas morning thing going on that is so sweet, you have to think of it as dessert. This has something of that same kind of flavor profile, but without the sweet dialed to 11, the right amount of heat, and the classic michter’s notes on the vertebrae—a unique, delightful pour. If I wanted bourbon for breakfast, this would be the one (and I love breakfast).

I mean I can’t give it a 5 cause I want to believe there is always room to improve but this is about the best whiskey I have ever had. I had it next to the jack daniels barrel proof rye and I gave them both almost perfect scores. Out of 100 I think 98 is about right. And if you find it at retail there isn’t a better bottle in the world!

Tasting after the Michters 10 Very similar nose and flavor profile. Excellent. Vanilla, caramel, dry oak finish. Long finish 23Mar24 Revisit Palette has a sweet raisin paste flavor. Fades to licorice and oak. Coats the tongue nicely.

Super tasty of a rye. Fairly long finish. Heavy spice with a mellow mint finish. Reminds me a bit of 20 Handy. Possibly better. In between bookers and handy.