Michter’s recently released their ten year old Rye Whiskey for 2022. Their distillery in Shively, Kentucky has now been producing whiskey long enough that what they put in their standard rye bottles is now being produced there instead of being contract distilled elsewhere. That means the 10 year old whiskey will probably be where they use the remaining contract distilled rye. It makes sense as they don’t want to change the flavor profile of this popular whiskey. It is very good whiskey, but I suspect the rye whiskey they are distilling will make an even better tasting whiskey at 10 years old. The future looks bright for this expression of Michter’s Rye. Matt and I tasted this year’s expression and here are our tasting notes.
Michter’s Single Barrel 10 Year Old Rye 2022 Release
Proof: 92.8
Age: Ten Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, caramel, citrus, pears, oak wood with a hint of baking spices.
- Matt: Caramel, chocolate, cherries, rye grass and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, citrus, cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of dark chocolate and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the citrus and spice notes are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and the chocolate and oak are enhanced.
- Matt: Chocolate, caramel corn, peanut brittle, nutmeg and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out notes of cocoa butter and pineapple chunks. The pecan brought out notes of spicy peanuts and cinnamon toast.
Finish:
- Mike: Very long with oak and spice with lingering notes of dark chocolate. The dried cranberry added some lingering notes of citrus – maybe tangerine. The pecan made the finish very long lots of milk chocolate and spice.
- Matt: Long with oak, brown sugar and leather. The dried cranberry added a little cardamom spice note. The pecan made the finish very long with oak, chocolate and cinnamon spice.
I would pair this Rye Whiskey with a cigar that has a lot of vanilla and chocolate notes in the smoke. What should I go for? My Father The Judge or a Padron Maduro? It is a tough choice, but I think it will be the Padron.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller