Nose: Toasted marshmallow, mint, tobacco leaf and almonds. Rye spice is apparent, but it’s overwhelmed by vanilla ice cream. Still Type: Copper column pot still and copper pot doubler, both made by Vendome Copper & Brass Works Palate: The palate holds onto the sweetness as it leans towards a campfire roasted marshmallow, a touch of saffron and clove-stewed pears, a pile of sappy firewood, and creamy nuances of vanilla pudding all meander through your senses. I had been curious about Willett for a while, but knew they were sourcing. I purposefully stayed clear of their bottles until I found a Noah’s Mill that specifically stated “distilled, aged, and bottled by Willett Distillery” because I wanted to judge them based on their own output, not on stuff they sourced. It seems Willett’s own juice is a bit polarizing now that they are bottling their own distillate, but at least they are doing their thing and stating it on the bottle! I happen to like some of their stuff, and will continue to explore. Here’s hoping Michter’s chooses more transparency down the road.

Indeed, despite now having three folks who have held the title of Master Distiller, we’ve yet to taste any whiskey from Michter’s that is solely the output of their stills.” Goddamn, this bottle has no business being as good as it is for this price. It’s a legitimately first-rate single barrel rye that you can actually find pretty much everywhere and also afford. That’s a quasi-miracle on its own these days. Already we’re seeing younger releases coming to market, and that will continue, in addition to just seeing less rye whiskey altogether. We’re also going to see new and more experimental rye whiskies– which I think is only a good thing, in an industry built upon creativity and innovation. And another hopeful caveat to that – a decade or so down the line, we’re going to be seeing some really, really good aged ryes coming out. This latter category doesn’t include Michter’s, and I doubt it ever will. I suspect they’ve been too commercially successful with the procure-and-pretend model to ever pivot to their own production, absent some seismic change in the availability of sourced whiskey. Michter’s diehard stans and those newer to the hobby will likely continue their tireless pursuit of bottles from this resurrected and repurposed brand. For my part, I’ll continue pounding the drum of truth and transparency so that others – should they decide to buy a bottle of Michter’s – know what they’re getting, or at least know what they don’t know about what they’re getting. Michter’s showpiece location, the “Fort Nelson Distillery,” is in downtown Louisville. Though this building has “a legendary historic distillation system,” the company’s Shively facility (DSP KY-20003) actually houses Michter’s processing and bottling operations. Two experimental pot stills were augmented by the addition of a 46-foot column still and doubler setup in 2014. Distilling appears to have commenced (judging by photos of the facility), but that doesn’t mean we’re yet tasting anything that Michter’s has produced itself.At Michter’s Fort Nelson distillery, a piece of the brand’s Pennsylvania history remains. When the historic Schaeffersville, Pennsylvania distillery was abandoned, retired Jim Beam master distiller David Beam bought the copper stills and kept them in his garage, with hopes of one day using them for his own whiskey. I’ll say no more about my hopes or expectations. Rather, let’s let the whiskey do the talking… Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye – Review Michter’s likes to say its 10-year rye “continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company.” The distillery ties its history to Shenk’s, which opened in Pennsylvania in 1753 – and, no doubt, made Monongahela Rye. That distillery eventually became Bomberger which, following Prohibition and another couple of decades, became Michter’s. Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.

This is another rye whiskey that has no business tasting as good as it does while still being fairly gettable (albeit at a price).

A Love Letter to I’m Sorry and a Tribute to Funny Moms in 3 Bits By Annie Berke September 6, 2023 | 11:48am