Michter's US1 Unbleded American Whiskey Batch# 3E1

[mike1]

Here is my common sense take on Michners. It is not distilled and bottled by the same people,so it has to be bought from someone.It is not a big enough brand for it to be made to some esoteric formulation,so I suspect that it has a bourbon mashbill. The label says that it is matured in '...bourbon-soaked white oak barrels.' To me that means used cooperage. Michners flavor is different from other bourbons or Kentucky Whiskies. It is different enough for me to believe that the statement that '..it is further mellowed by..signature filtration.' is code for some form of flavoring being added to the whiskey before it is bottled bottled. Maybe someone in the know will devulge more .

[cowdery]

Your decoding is very astute.

[Gillman]

I had the chance to taste this whiskey, finally. A very interesting product. I can't fathom what that "signature filtration" might be. The words don't literally refer to any kind of flavoring, which is not to say it isn't flavored. The reference in the labelling to bourbon-soaked cooperage clearly denotes reused bourbon barrels, I agree. The taste reveals a clear rye edge, this whiskey derives from a high rye mash, whatever its origin. The flavour is rather unlike bourbon. The full-bore barrel character of bourbon is missing, but there is a strong woody character at the same time. It reminds me of the kind of rummy Canadian whiskey that some makers here once put out (e.g. Captain's Table, if anyone remembers that one) mixed with an older rye-recipe bourbon. Say, Trace blended with CC 15 year old with a shot of old rum thrown in. There is a persistent sweetness that may indicate flavouring of some kind, but I don't think it is sweetened or flavored. I find ice improves this one, brings out the taste. Taken neat, it shows some jagged ("granular") edges but still is tasty. A one-off, and it adds variety to the scene.

Gary