The toasted oak finish is created by re-barreling aged Michter’s Bourbon in barrels that have been toasted only on the inside. Toasted barrel staves have the vanilla and caramel flavors in the wood, but without any charred wood, there are hardly any tannins. Toasted oak finishes tend to be heavy on the vanilla and butterscotch flavors and less on the tannic oak and chocolate flavors.
It has been three years since Michter’s released their toasted oak finished Bourbon. This expression is a little different than the last one – it is more like the first release of the toasted oak Bourbon. There is a bit more butterscotch sweetness in this expression compared to the 2018 expression. Both are very good, but different. I personally like the variation. It keeps life interesting. Matt and I sat down to taste this whiskey and here are our notes on this expression.
Michter’s Toasted Oak Bourbon 2021
Proof: 91.4
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Butterscotch, caramel and apples with some oak wood. It takes a minute to open up to its full glory, so don’t rush things.
- Matt: Barrel char, vanilla, cotton candy and baking spices – nutmeg up front, but others as it opens up.
Taste:
- Mike: Butterscotch, candied apple and baking spices with a little sweet oak wood. A very chewy mouth-feel. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apple comes forward and the spice intensifies. Tasted with a pecan and milk chocolate, with oak and cinnamon become the dominant flavors.
- Matt: Vanilla with toasted nuts up front. A very creamy mouth-feel leading into a note of chocolate. The dried cranberry brought out notes of citrus, tobacco and butterscotch. The pecan brought out notes of maple syrup, butter and sweet oak wood.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with sweet oak wood and lingering vanilla and butterscotch. The cranberry made the finish shorter and sweeter with lingering fruit and cinnamon spice. The pecan made the finish very long with lots of sweet oak wood and lingering chocolate.
- Matt: A long and buttery caramel finish with a little sweet oak wood. The dried cranberry shortened the finish and brought some notes of lingering citrus to the mix. The pecan brought out some smoky oak wood and lingering vanilla to the finish.
This whiskey would pair well with any cigar. I would reach for a Maduro wrapper cigar because of the notes of caramel and chocolate that usually come out in a Maduro cigar. A Padron 1926 would be the first I would reach for to smoke with this whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller