Michter’s 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon bottled at 94.4 proof — a $250 expression that merits close attention.
Nose
Vanilla and sawdust jump out at you right up front, girded with some secondary aromas of candied pecan, violets, and celery stalk. A few minutes in the glass and the candied notes give way to a more pronounced nuttiness, like a roasted peanut bouquet. About 45 minutes in the glass revealed really enticing undertones of dark cherry and just a hint of menthol. This thing is delicious to smell!
Palate
This is masculine juice. Rich and warming on the palate and with a pronounced honeyed-ethanol note. There is tannin here, and pretty rich tannin at that, which will dry out the bottom half of your teeth, but it comes without the astringency that can often make too much tannin a flavor disrupter. Here it simply adds another layer of complexity to an already lively mouthfeel. The mid-palate reveals a rich tapestry of raisin, toffee, cinnamon toast, and dark fruit custard. The finish, while relatively brief, was a burst of baked dark cherry.
Finish
There’s a chance this release is polarizing to a few people depending on tastes. There is an alcoholic heat to it that some may be turned off by or interpret as unbalanced, but I found it well-integrated and the flavor of that heat suggested an expertly distilled product to me. rnrnIt’s also in keeping consistent with the Michter’s ‘house style’ so to speak. Whiskey lovers who like to taste the alcohol as the saying goes, will likely add this release to the top of their year-end lists for American bourbon. That being said, I did multiple tastings of this and for those who dont like that alcoholic bite, a couple drops of water really softened that up and released a lot more of those dark fruit/cherry characteristics. I was as thrilled by its complexity and boldness as by the places where it was restrained. rnrnWhile I think it stops just short of being an all-time classic, it is unequivocally a top tier bourbon.
Verdict
Michter’s 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is an exceptional expression that stands among the finest in its category. It rewards patience and attention in equal measure, and we recommend it without reservation — though at $250, one expects nothing less.
