Bourbon

Bourbon Review: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2017)

We review the 2017 release of Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon, the first release under new master distiller Pam Heilmann.

OVERALL RATING

9
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Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Glossy, browned butter; copper; dark honey.
Nose:
If velvety had a smell, it’d be this bourbon. It immerses you in rich, buttery toffee; toasted wood; and caramel corn.
Palate:
Oh, wow. Yep: It’s smooth, delicious, and does not disappoint. It burns ever so slightly on the finish, but it’s more of a soft glow than a rough departure. This is a bourbon I want to keep for special occasions, except I don’t. I want to drink this all day. It’s the bourbon equivalent of the furniture that’s not cheap, but you also still want to sit on—and maybe find yourself asleep on after you have a couple pours of this stuff. Or like the perfect outfit, it makes everything look better.
Finish:
Comments:
A good friend once likened Michter’s to Werther’s Original hard candies, and I must concur. It’s not a saccharine, tooth-weakening syrup. Instead it’s balanced, caramel, smooth liquid gold—that literal sweet spot when the sweetness of a candy fills your mouth at its just-dissolved point. Michter’s never lets me down, and this is proof (see what I did there?). This is really, really freaking good, and just what I needed after a very stressful day. Or month.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Carin Moonin

Carin Moonin swapped a 5th-floor walkup in Hoboken, NJ, for a house in SE Portland a decade ago and hasn't looked back. She appreciates Portland's vibrant whiskey scene, finding it complements both the weather and her mood. Carin enjoys exploring the diverse world of brown liquor and its many facets. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Salon.com, DailyDot.com, Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, and others. When she's not indulging in whiskey or writing about it, you can find Carin running, reading, or on the hunt for free samples in grocery stores.

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