One immediately reached for an ECBP, pulled the cork, closed his eyes and took a long, patient sniff. He said that aroma was exactly the smell of the conflagration that awful day, and then poured himself a glass.
Is (the price of such bottles) going to get better over time? Absolutely, because when we move to our own distillate, it’s going to get much better from a business standpoint. I think that benefit is going to get passed on to consumers as well.
On the palate, it’s clearly rye whiskey: slightly spicy, appropriately grainy and familiarly minty and dill-y. Its texture is what’s unique: warm, soft and slightly viscous, not at all lean like many ryes.
The palate is delicious and adventurous, racing from sweet to tart to vegetal to minty to petrichor and back … all in the first few seconds of sip No. 1.
Tasting this and knowing you’ve spent just $49.99 will make you wonder why you part with any more on any bottle. From sniff to sip, this is precisely what bourbon whiskey should taste like and cost in 2025.
The nose on this Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye takes me directly to the dump trough where tour guests get to stick their Glencairn glasses directly into the stream of whiskey glug-glug-glugging from the cask.
The nose is a soft blend of caramel corn, cotton candy, mint and a little burnt orange peel: truly pleasant. The palate is bolder with dark caramel, roasted corn, more mint and cherry Lifesaver. Again, quite nice. Nothing to dislike at all.
I’ve visited this distillery, and trust me, it’s OLD old school. On a tour there, our guide pulled out a diagram of its process that was hand-sketched on an 8 x 11 piece of paper. No video. No fancy equipment with computerized monitors. Just a drawing.
I’m like any reviewer who immediately wants to dislike celebrity whiskies because most are never good. So, since this one’s actually good, is it because the celebrity wasn’t involved in it at all?
High notes of lemon cream candy, butterscotch, hibiscus, agave nectar, oak and baking spice combine for an incredibly balanced pour whose finish is bright, tingly, clean and short.
