Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye 2023
Don’t know about you, but I’m kind of over toasted barrel finishes at this point. So many versions, lengths of finishing, aging for the entire time in heavy toast, I think it’s been explored nearly every way it can be.
Yes, there were some shining examples, and many were enjoyable. Honestly, though, when I want to go back to a toasted barrel finish, I end up right back where the trend started: Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye.
Originally released in 2014, the first toasted barrels from Michter’s were meant to complement the barrels being used for most of the aging which were already more toasted than any of their counterparts. Whether Michter’s President Joe Magliocco’s statement that it “create[d] a new whiskey category for people to enjoy” is accurate is up for debate, but there’s no doubt that I associate toasted barrels most (and best) with Michter’s.
For this release, the secondary maturation barrels are made from 24-month air-dried staves. The barrels are toasted, not charred, crystallizing the lignins and creating a new flavor profile separate from the char-driven profile with which we’re all familiar.
This release does lean into the sweetness more than previous editions, but that could also be a barrel-to-barrel difference. There’s plenty of the Michter’s rye on the palate to counter the sweetness, just don’t go in expecting either a 95/5 herb-bomb or a 51% rye that’s barely rye. The vanilla ranges from vanilla bean ice cream to pastry cream in a Napoleon and meringues fresh from the oven, that crunchy-chewy texture that melts in your mouth and coats the whole tongue.
As always, your barrel may differ - but if you can find this at or near the $120 MSRP, chances are you’ll enjoy it. I certainly did.
Thank you to Michter’s for providing this bottle free of charge. All opinions and notes are my own.
Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye 2023: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Producer: Michter’s Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Proof: 109.2 (54.6% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Kentucky
Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye 2023 Price: $120
Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye 2023: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark amber. Medium sloughing rims and beady drops hanging on.
Nose: Ooh - that’s a beautiful nose, walking into an old rickhouse filled with rye. Lots of syrupy, leaky-barrel candy. Vanilla scented, the light char and toasted pastry turning to toasted and just-caught marshmallows. Toaster pastries.
Palate: Rye comes first, classic Michter’s sweetness that’s higher than the barely legal (nearly bourbon-esque) ryes but not as dry or herbal as the Monongahela or 95/5s. Sweetness from the toasted barrel swoops in on a vanilla pastry cream wave. Meringues fresh from the oven. The rye stays sweet, turning to maple candy with the slightest smokiness. Mouthfeel is syrupy, medium-bodied, whole tongue is hit by both rye and barrel at once.
Finish: Medium to long, flavors consistent throughout from nose to finish. Lingers in a lacquer on the tongue and underneath.
Overall: Quite enjoyable! This has more balance than in recent years and I’m enjoying the toasted barrel more than I have in a while. Might be a little sweet for some.
Final Rating: 7.2
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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