Day 8

Michters

US★1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye

Style: Blend of Kentucky Straight Rye finished in toasted barrels

Mashbills: Undisclosed

Aged: NAS

Proof: 109.8

Cost: $139 (Plus, I had to buy a $55 Michter's Rye in a 2-pack at the distillery)

Why I chose it: I have long admired Michter's distillery. Their 10-year Rye battles for 1st on my list of favorite Ryes. This was the first time I had the opportunity to buy the toasted barrel finish Rye and I'm hopeful it lives up to my high expectations. One of the ways Michter's is unique is that they start with a lower proof point than the allowed 125 percent. They believe that it gives a richer interaction with the wood for unique flavor profiles.

We chose to start day 1 of our KY trip this year standing in line for their distillery open and thankfully we were about 5 people from them selling out. I hypothesize that not enough people have tried Michter's products, so I hope this first impression is great.

Distiller's page: https://michters.com/toasted-barrel-finish-rye/