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Michters barrel proof


BigPapa
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It's $89 here so I'll pass for now. Sounds interesting enough to try if I get a chance but not enough to buy at that price.

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I'd probably go for it if it were $70. Every time I've almost bought it, I wonder if it's $30 better than Pikesville.

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3 hours ago, Spade said:

I'd probably go for it if it were $70. Every time I've almost bought it, I wonder if it's $30 better than Pikesville.

Both are good ryes.  IMO, if you're doing the price thing I would stay with Pikesville.  Personally, I'll keep buying Pikesville and keep passing on a second bottle of Michter's at $75, FWIW.

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4 hours ago, Spade said:

I'd probably go for it if it were $70. Every time I've almost bought it, I wonder if it's $30 better than Pikesville.

It's not $30 better but it's different enough that I like having it around along with two in the bunker. Pikesville is certainly the better value.

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11 hours ago, flahute said:

It's not $30 better but it's different enough that I like having it around along with two in the bunker. Pikesville is certainly the better value.

 

I enjoy having both as well but will certainly go with Pikesville in the future and have no plans to replace the Michter's. But that may be as much my general dislike of the Michter's company than it is of the Michter's BP Rye. Still, barrel proof NAS mystery whiskey is likely to lose out to higher than average proof age stated "non-mystery" whiskey every time!

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29 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

I enjoy having both as well but will certainly go with Pikesville in the future and have no plans to replace the Michter's. But that may be as much my general dislike of the Michter's company than it is of the Michter's BP Rye. Still, barrel proof NAS mystery whiskey is likely to lose out to higher than average proof age stated "non-mystery" whiskey every time!

Totally agree. This is the only Michter's I've ever purchased and I wouldn't have done so had I not tried it first at Whiskey Live and come away with such a favorable impression. I otherwise don't like to support this company. Knowing now that it was distilled by BF takes some of the mystery away but I'm still not inclined to buy any of their other products due to the high prices. With less rye options out there generally I'm happy to have this one but won't be in a hurry to buy any more of it.

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On 1/26/2017 at 0:00 AM, flahute said:

$70 is my limit on it and it's out there for that price online.

It's $80 in Maryland.  Which is my justification for not buying it.  Also, I am happy to pile onto the Michter's hater train.

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1 minute ago, garbanzobean said:

It's $80 in Maryland.  Which is my justification for not buying it.  Also, I am happy to pile onto the Michter's hater train.

Yep, I'd pass at that price and buy 2 Pikesvilles. 

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On 1/28/2017 at 0:50 PM, flahute said:

Knowing now that it was distilled by BF takes some of the mystery away 

Steve,

This was touched on a little earlier in the thread but to clarify, is it safe to assume that this is the same liquid that goes into making WR rye?

Edited by meadeweber
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1 hour ago, meadeweber said:

Steve,

This was touched on a little earlier in the thread but to clarify, is it safe to assume that this is the same liquid that goes into making WR rye?

Probably not a safe assumption. It was contract distilled by BF for Michters and likely has a different mashbill.

I tasted them sbs and did not find them all that similar. 

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1 hour ago, flahute said:

Probably not a safe assumption. It was contract distilled by BF for Michters and likely has a different mashbill.

I tasted them sbs and did not find them all that similar. 

Thanks for the info.

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3 hours ago, flahute said:

Probably not a safe assumption. It was contract distilled by BF for Michters and likely has a different mashbill.

I tasted them sbs and did not find them all that similar. 

 

I know Michter's makes a lot of noise about contract distilling but I still am more than a little suspect about how much truth there is to it. It is Michter's after all!

 

It does taste different but it could perhaps be barrel effect/age and warehouse location more so than a truly new and different mashbill. For all I know the Woodford Rye might have some rye that is in fact made at Woodford that is blended with Shively made rye much as the Woodford bourbon is whilst the Michter's is all from the stills in Shively. Leftover or off profile Rittenhouse barrels from when B-F was still making it for HH perhaps??? Not that the Michter's BP rye taste much like DSP 354 Rittenhouse either that I can recall.


Of course I have no proof of any of this and neither Michter's nor B-F is likely to fess up. But it is fun to speculate!

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2 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

I know Michter's makes a lot of noise about contract distilling but I still am more than a little suspect about how much truth there is to it. It is Michter's after all!

 

It does taste different but it could perhaps be barrel effect/age and warehouse location more so than a truly new and different mashbill. For all I know the Woodford Rye might have some rye that is in fact made at Woodford that is blended with Shively made rye much as the Woodford bourbon is whilst the Michter's is all from the stills in Shively. Leftover or off profile Rittenhouse barrels from when B-F was still making it for HH perhaps??? Not that the Michter's BP rye taste much like DSP 354 Rittenhouse either that I can recall.


Of course I have no proof of any of this and neither Michter's nor B-F is likely to fess up. But it is fun to speculate!

I don't know if you remember an article that Minnick posted last year I think it was when he confirmed that Michter's was contract distilled by BF. Now, being the cynical type like many here, I was looking for further confirmation. I was standing in one of the Old Forester rickhouses in Shively looking at a Michter's barrel and I point blank asked Chris Morris if they had contract distilled the Michter's and he said yes, they had, but that they don't anymore. So, unless you don't believe Chris (and maybe you have a reason to still be skeptical), I don't think it's speculation anymore.

 

Regarding the flavor comparison - I of course considered all the usual aging difference possibilities that you mentioned. What makes me think they are different mashbills and even maybe a different yeast is that in the Woodford rye, I get that typical Woodford/OF flavor (bananas foster? - not sure how to describe it) behind the rye spice whereas the Michter's lacks that and comes off more like the barely legal ryes from HH and Sazerac.

Edited by flahute
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45 minutes ago, flahute said:

I don't know if you remember an article that Minnick posted last year I think it was when he confirmed that Michter's was contract distilled by BF. Now, being the cynical type like many here, I was looking for further confirmation. I was standing in one of the Old Forester rickhouses in Shively looking at a Michter's barrel and I point blank asked Chris Morris if they had contract distilled the Michter's and he said yes, they had, but that they don't anymore. So, unless you don't believe Chris (and maybe you have a reason to still be skeptical), I don't think it's speculation anymore.

 

Regarding the flavor comparison - I of course considered all the usual aging difference possibilities that you mentioned. What makes me think they are different mashbills and even maybe a different yeast is that in the Woodford rye, I get that typical Woodford/OF flavor (bananas foster? - not sure how to describe it) behind the rye spice whereas the Michter's lacks that and comes off more like the barely legal ryes from HH and Sazerac.

 

I do vaguely remember that article.

 

I have no reason to doubt Chris Morris (or you!). I am just not really sure I know what "contract distilling" means. Does it mean a different mashbill unique to an NDP like Michter's? Or does it just mean on days X, Y and Z what we make belongs to Michter's (or any other NDP for that matter!).

 

I did think for awhile that Michter's BP rye was more like a BP DSP 354 Rittenhouse while the Woodford Rye was indeed more "Woodford-y", what ever that is exactly. I guess I need to try them again!

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1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

 

I have no reason to doubt Chris Morris (or you!). I am just not really sure I know what "contract distilling" means. Does it mean a different mashbill unique to an NDP like Michter's? Or does it just mean on days X, Y and Z what we make belongs to Michter's (or any other NDP for that matter!).

 

Bruce, the company line from Michter's was always "cooking in someone else's kitchen". They put out the word-through Mike Veach IIRC that what BF did was use a distinct Michter's mashbill and barrel entry proof. Don't know if that is true or not. Hard to believe they would go to the trouble of deviating from their normal runs just to accommodate Michter's but maybe they did. 

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3 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

I do vaguely remember that article.

 

I have no reason to doubt Chris Morris (or you!). I am just not really sure I know what "contract distilling" means. Does it mean a different mashbill unique to an NDP like Michter's? Or does it just mean on days X, Y and Z what we make belongs to Michter's (or any other NDP for that matter!).

 

I did think for awhile that Michter's BP rye was more like a BP DSP 354 Rittenhouse while the Woodford Rye was indeed more "Woodford-y", what ever that is exactly. I guess I need to try them again!

Contract distilling can be either option. In the case of Bulleitt, it was regular Four Roses distillate (4RYL) that was bottled at 90 proof. In the case of Michter's, it's a unique mashbill. Though it sounds odd for a company to deviate from their normal runs, if they don't have the need for their stills to running 24/7 it's not a big deal to switch it up for someone else during their regularly scheduled down time. Back then, they were not at full capacity. Now, they might be, so this kind of contract distilling might no longer be an option.

 

Some of the new craft distillers coming online do have that availability, but of course they are limited by the size of their stills.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Has anyone tired both the standard Micther's Rye and the BP? If so, I'm curious to know how you think they compare. I'm a fan of the standard Rye but wasn't exactly blown away by it, but I'm thinking the higher proof might ramp things up and push it from good to great.

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3 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

Has anyone tired both the standard Micther's Rye and the BP? If so, I'm curious to know how you think they compare. I'm a fan of the standard Rye but wasn't exactly blown away by it, but I'm thinking the higher proof might ramp things up and push it from good to great.

 

Been awhile since I tried either and the BP was more recent than the standard bottling but my recollection is that the BP is superior. Perhaps not surprising since I like barrel proof whiskey!

 

And that all presumes you want to buy Michter's in the first place. The BP rye was the last Michter's I bought and I don't generally buy the brand anymore. I am not a big fan of their marketing BS and generally higher price for mystery whiskey.

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1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

Been awhile since I tried either and the BP was more recent than the standard bottling but my recollection is that the BP is superior. Perhaps not surprising since I like barrel proof whiskey!

 

And that all presumes you want to buy Michter's in the first place. The BP rye was the last Michter's I bought and I don't generally buy the brand anymore. I am not a big fan of their marketing BS and generally higher price for mystery whiskey.

 

Thanks, that sounds good. I'm generally a fan of higher proofed/barrel proof whiskeys as well. I tend to like Ryes in the 100-110 range, like Whistle Pig, Pikesville and Russell's Reserve single barrel.

 

I don't have anything against Michter's, I understand they're a NDP and the source of their whiskey might change at any time for the worse (at which point I will stop buying their stuff). I've actually gone through quite a few bottles of Michter's Bourbon, I'm a big fan and it's one of the few whiskeys my wife will ask for by name. It's our go-to for a lot of drinks, I think we've had 5 or 6 bottles, all 2015 or 2016 which have been very consistent.

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8 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

 

Thanks, that sounds good. I'm generally a fan of higher proofed/barrel proof whiskeys as well. I tend to like Ryes in the 100-110 range, like Whistle Pig, Pikesville and Russell's Reserve single barrel.

 

I don't have anything against Michter's, I understand they're a NDP and the source of their whiskey might change at any time for the worse (at which point I will stop buying their stuff). I've actually gone through quite a few bottles of Michter's Bourbon, I'm a big fan and it's one of the few whiskeys my wife will ask for by name. It's our go-to for a lot of drinks, I think we've had 5 or 6 bottles, all 2015 or 2016 which have been very consistent.

BP is better than regular.

Their source has been Brown Forman. They are now distilling their own, though what's on shelves now is still Brown Forman distilled. When their source changes it will be from BF to their own.

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