Blind the Gap: Michter's Toasted Barrel Sour Mash (2019)

Quick Stats

· Name – Michter’s Toasted Barrel Sour Mash
·  Age – none stated, “full maturation” of sour mash whiskey then finished “in a new barrel that has been toasted to our exacting specifications”
·  Proof – 86.0
·  Price
·  Shelves $60 – $80
·  Secondary $160 – $210

Summary

·  Color – light copper
·  Nose – woody, slight baking spice
·  Palette – soft, velvety tongue coat with marshmallow sweetness
·  Finish – late vanilla and caramel pull into a dry burn
·  Conclusion – enjoyable drinker that pulls in some bold higher proof flavors while still being low proof
·  Rating: 7/10 = Would buy for home bar and actively seek multiple backups. 

Detailed Notes and Thoughts

I often get lost in my thoughts while drinking bourbon and perhaps that is why I enjoy it so much. The smells and tastes don’t always strike familiarities on my palette in terms of a direct flavor origin, but they often strike a memory or experience in my past. From the very first smell, I was immediately taken back to times spent visiting my family’s lake house. It was an older, primarily wood built house that just had a unique and calming familiar smell. I never get this with any other Michter’s products, so I have to attribute it to the toasted barrel finish. Having not had any other Michter’s toasted products I can’t say that it is common to all, but I can confirm the recently released Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel does not carry this same profile.

The initial ethanol rush was slightly higher than I expected knowing the bottle to only be 86 proof, but it burned off quick with a rushing of baking spices. The first sip was a full tongue coater. It was not what I would call a full “Kentucky hug,” but perhaps more of a friendly one-armed embrace. What made this embrace so satisfying was the smooth, marshmallow sweetness combined with some vanilla and caramel. This decadent rush of flavors was not overly sweet and, much like the quick burn on the nose, the finish morphed from the creamy mouthful to a woody, leathery release.

I’m horrible at pulling specific fruit flavors, but I do know there were some going on in here. I believe there were hints of banana and a subtle hint of what think is cherry (or just that dark, deeper red fruit). Butterscotch isn’t a wild flavor note as I type it, but I also don’t have those deep seeded memories of breaking into Grandma’s sewing tin filled with unnamed candy. I did pick up a late cinnamon push as I reached the end of the pour.