Michter’s Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, recently released the 10 Year Old expression of their Bourbon. They do this almost every year, but did not release a 10 year old Bourbon in 2022 because they did not think that they had whiskey that reached the flavor profile they wanted to achieve. The year-long wait was worth it. One of my favorite things about Michter’s Distillery is the fact that they put quality above profits. They could have released a 10 year old Bourbon last year and it would have been good and sold out, as the 10 year old always does, but they waited another year to produce the whiskey that met their goals.  I received a bottle for review the other day and Matt and I sat down and tasted it. Here are our tasting notes.

Michter’s 10 Year Old Small Batch Bourbon

Proof: 94.4

Age: Ten Years Old

Nose:

  • Mike: French vanilla, apricots, allspice, oak wood.
  • Matt: Vanilla, Golden Delicious Apples, allspice and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: French Vanilla, apricots with a hint of citrus, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apricot is enhanced and cinnamon spice comes forward. When tasted with a pecan the apricot flavor is reduced and the oak wood comes forward. The vanilla is joined by some caramel and a hint of milk chocolate.
  • Matt: Vanilla and oak wood up front with notes of Golden Delicious Apples, tobacco and cayenne pepper. The dried cranberry enhanced the vanilla but reduced the apple. The pecan brought out noted of cocoa, buttered pecan, allspice, tobacco and oak wood.

Finish: 

  • Mike: Medium long with oak wood, allspice, and lingering apricot fruit sweetness. The dried cranberry made the finish very fruity with apricot and citrus, with cinnamon spice and oak wood. The pecan made the finish longer and dry with oak wood, spice and lingering milk chocolate.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak wood, tobacco and spice. The dried cranberry added lingering vanilla to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, tobacco, a hint of charred oak and lingering chocolate.

I would pair this fine Bourbon with a cigar that is rich in vanilla and earthy tobacco in the smoke. I would reach for a Padron 1964 Anniversary Series, Maduro wrapper cigar and take my time with the Bourbon and the cigar.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller