Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye barrel # 4L3

**rob** · 01-19-2006, 23:12

Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye barrel # 4L3p, 84.8 proof

Nose: Closed. Sappy. Oaky. Very lightly floral and spicy. Where it is supposed to speak volumes, as ryes normally do, you'd need a hearing-aid to hear it whisper.

Palate: The nose confirms it: very light. Oaky yet it seems quite young. Flawless yet uninspiring.

Finish: Short and slightly astringent with mellowing marshmallow-sweetness at the very end.

Comment: Clean and light, this could be a beginner's rye. Then again, in my book a rye whiskey shuold be bold and demanding - not like a bland straight bourbon - this is not, so what would be the point? Ultimately bland and bland and bland and dull.

Have a great weekend, folks!

/Rob

**Gillman** · 01-21-2006, 07:10

I had some of this last night.

Rob's description is true and yet not true, in the sense that much depends on the state of the palate when tasting this whiskey. Last night I tasted it after downing a pint of Guinness Stout (a very fresh, flavorful pint as served at a local bar). I could hardly taste the whiskey - Rob's description is perfect. Yet at other times when I hadn't had anything to eat or drink before tasting this single barrel rye, the whiskey made a definite impression - its subtleties and flavor were quite apparent.

As many here have noted, the same whiskey can taste SO different depending on the time, mood and many other factors.

Gary

**barturtle** · 01-21-2006, 07:23

Just to clarify, is this the bottling known as "US-1"?

**TNbourbon** · 01-21-2006, 07:28

Originally Posted by barturtle

Just to clarify, is this the bottling known as "US-1"?

Michter's U.S.-1, I believe, is a blended whiskey -- or, at least, non-bourbon. There also are a 10yo single-barrel Michter's bourbon, and a straight rye, which have begun showing up in our distribution area, too, in the last month or so in the mid-$20s price range.

**BourbonJoe** · 01-21-2006, 13:21

Tim,
US-1 is a rye whiskey. Is it really a blend?
Joe

**barturtle** · 01-21-2006, 14:17

Okay I found this site. http://www.michters.com/ and hope this will help clear up my question a little and actually I think it answers my question as well. Since the proof is 84.8it seems to be the second one.

**Rughi** · 01-21-2006, 15:57

Originally Posted by barturtle

Okay I found this site. http://www.michters.com/ and hope this will help clear up...

From the site Timothy references and from Rob's original post, it appears that not only is this not a blend, but is a single barrel straight rye. I expect there may be quite a bit of variation between barrels, as my fading memory of the bottle I had about 6 months ago was that it was much livelier than Rob's notes infer.

However, since I'm riding so high on Rittenhouse BIB, I'm not sure I'll get another US1 too soon. While I liked the US1 quite a bit (and it made decent Manhattans), to my taste buds the Rittenhouse is more mature and the best value in whiskey. It is certainly more robust, at 100 proof, than the US1.

The questions I have about the US1 are: who owns the Michters brand name now, and from where does the whiskey come? Is Chatham Imports a dba, bottler, etc? I expect these are rhetorical questions.

Roger

**barturtle** · 01-21-2006, 17:16

There's a post about the ownership of this brand written by Julian here: http://www.straightbourbon.com/ubbth...ead.php?t=1544

I also ran across a post from Julian that I find slightly confusing from him:
http://www.straightbourbon.com/ubbth...ead.php?t=2438

I'm thinking this is a reference to the Rye whiskey and not to the rye formula bourbon CoK (which has been discused as the source of Stagg). Has anyone ever run across CoK Rye?

Unfortunately you have to scroll down to find Julians post.(I'm either not familiar with how to get it to go there or it's a new issue that will likely get fixed soon)

**TNbourbon** · 01-21-2006, 19:57

Originally Posted by BourbonJoe

Tim,
US-1 is a rye whiskey. Is it really a blend?
Joe

Right you are, Joe -- seems both the 'unblended' whiskey and the rye both are named U.S.-1. I didn't realize that.
The second bottling apparently is 'whiskey' because of the used oak barrels.
It is the two 10yos -- bourbon and rye -- that I've begun seeing around here.

**barturtle** · 01-21-2006, 20:10

There was an interesting post by Drew about the 10yo rye actually being from 83-84. Of course that was 4 months ago and there could have been a change back to younger stock, but it might be an interesting thing to pick up, just in case.

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