Michter's - Single Barrel Rye US1 (750ml)
Price: $46.99
| Producer | Michter's |
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| Country | United States |
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| Region | Kentucky |
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| Style | Rye |
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| Sku | 15573 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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Michter's has an interesting history (both old and new). The original distillery was founded in a 1753 and thus earns the distinction as 'America's oldest whiskey company'. John Shenk, a Menonite farmer of Swiss descent, who lived in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, decided to produce whiskey from the excess rye grown in the Blue Mountain Valley (on the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains). Pennsylvania lore suggests that George Washington visited the distillery and "purchased whiskey to fortify his men as they hunkered down in their camp through the long, brutal winter at Valley Forge". Thus, Michter's became "the whiskey that warmed the American Revolution".
The distillery survived until Prohibition, which forced the facility (and most others) to shutter doors. Multiple (and weak) owners followed the passage of the 21st Amendment. The Pennsylvania distillery closed in 1989., and the remaining whiskey was bottled under the Hirsch label.
In the 1990s Joseph Magliocco and Richard Newman teamed up to resurrect Michter's. They moved the operation (actually just the name) to Kentucky (the symbolic center of American Whiskey), and began the process of 'reintroducing' the name to the public.
We have discussed the decision of Michter's to purchase the historic Fort Nelson building in Louisville (2011). They originally budgeted $8 million to rehabilitate the building (but have far exceeded that number), But, they will ultimately house their tasting room in one of the most unique structures on the increasingly popular Bourbon Trail.
Michter's Description
Renowned for Rye, America's first whiskey, since our founding in 1753, we take production of every barrel of Michter's Rye very seriously. Our US*1 Rye is made from select American rye grain that is sheared to enable the saturation of more flavor during fermentation. It is then aged in a heated warehouse. This premium rye has hints of light spice, black pepper, marmalade and plum, spicy grain and light caramel.
Whiskey Advocate
This rye has a lot going on. The palate ranges from herbs, caramel, cotton candy, honeysuckle, and rose petals, to chocolate, malt, black pepper, honey, and slightly burnt pizza crust. The whiskey sits on the palate, richly giving red fruit and pepper spice with a slight hint of banana on the end. The taste is magnificent. If the medium finish was just a little longer, this would venture into greatness.
