Michter’s Unblended American Whiskey – Review

Michter’s Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey

83.4 Proof

Price Point: $30 – $35 for 750 ML

Distiller: Michter’s American Whiskey Co.

Background

My wife and I are easy targets for whiskey marketers.  When we go into a liquor store, 50% of the time we have an idea of what we’re looking for.  The other 50% of the time, we rely on the packaging of the products to steer our purchasing decision.  We bought our bottle of Michter’s about six months ago simply because our eyes were drawn to the unique label (and because we hadn’t tried it yet).

It was a decision between the Unblended American and the Rye.  Because we already had a decent assortments of ryes, and we were intrigued by the idea of a “non-bourbon American”, we opted for the former.  Had our state store carried Michter’s Bourbon, we would have been in quite a predicament.

Review

From the nose itself, you can immediately tell that Michter’s Unblended American will be somewhat rye-heavy.  It smells somewhat strong, as 41.7% alcohol percentage would suggest.

Tasting this whiskey will quickly remind you of the fact that this is not a bourbon.  It has its own unique qualities due to its “signature filtration” process, as stated on the back of the bottle.  As hinted in the nose, a rye taste is present, but not overpowering.  A sweetness, familiar to maple syrup, lingers as well.  The sweet/bitter mix makes for an interesting combination.

The aftertaste retains the sweetness and rye tastes combined.

Rating & Recommendations

Michter’s Unblended American is unique enough to warrant a try.  It’s different than a bourbon, as any bottle marked differently should be.  I give this whiskey an 83 out of 100 because it still intrigues me without standing out as a superior whiskey.

This whiskey shouldn’t be mixed, although the Michter’s website suggests using their variations for cooking and cocktails.  I certainly give them more credit than that, and think that Michter’s Unblended American should be drunk on the rocks.

This whiskey did a pretty good job of drawing me in.  The packaging prompted the initial purpose, and the intrigue of its flavor makes me want to branch out and try one of the other offerings from Michter’s.

-Ryan