Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 92 |
| Style |
Rye American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 46.4% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $200.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-06-24 |
Michter's 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (2024) Review
Kentucky-based Michter’s doesn’t guarantee yearly releases of its 10 year bourbon and rye, but we’ve already gotten both in 2024. This year’s bourbon was a standout, leaving a lofty bar for comparison. That’s compounded by the high water mark of 2023’s Michter’s 10 Year Rye, critically acclaimed as (and in my personal opinion) one of the finest American rye bottlings in quite some time. Can the 2024 rye meet or exceed that new standard?
As with all contemporary Michter’s rye whiskeys, this is a “Kentucky-style” rye, meaning the mash bill is generally believed to contain just above 50 percent rye. (It’s worth noting Michter’s does not disclose specifics for its mash bills.) This is also a single barrel product, and while the distillery is known as one of the most consistent from barrel to barrel, there’s bound to be some variance across these releases. Similar to 2023, Michter’s 2024 10 Year Rye is bottled at 92.8 proof.
Also of note: Michter’s began distilling at their Shively, Ky. facility in the mid-2010s, though this release presumably came from distillate they contract distilled in the years before that. Many of Michter’s other products, including their limited edition toasted barrel whiskeys, now contain exclusively Shively-distilled product.
Let’s see how the latest Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye stacks up!
Michter's 10 Year Old 2024 Rye: Stats and Availability
The MSRP for Michter’s 10 Year Rye is $200, about $15 higher than its 10 year bourbon. This is a limited, allocated release, and it’s not uncommon to see it on retail shelves for above that suggested price. (I’ve seen it as high as $350 in New York City, though I’ve also seen it at suggested retail within a few blocks of that markup.) Michter’s has stated it will also release a limited quantity of the 10 year rye in select foreign markets.
Michter's 10 Year Old Rye Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The nose starts off both oaky and floral; it’s a relatively rare pairing between the tannic wood and scents of rose and jasmine. Oak builds over time and stays in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the nose, though the floral components — particularly jasmine — never fade all the way into the background.
A little more time in a tasting glass brings forth dusted cocoa and raspberry preserves. That transition from oak to fruity chocolate bar is gradual, so take your time with this one. The spice is restrained and comes through closer to fresh rye bread more than the traditional cacophony of baking spices.
Compared to higher-rye mash bills (like MGP’s prolific 95 percent rye), mint and vegetal smells are dialed way back here. There are scents reminiscent of spearmint and dill, but they come at the very end of the nosing experience, allowing sweeter, fruitier, and more wood-forward aromas to shine up front.
Compared to some recent Michter’s 10 Year Rye bottlings, this whiskey’s aromas aren’t quite as bold and pronounced; it almost noses a bit like a lower-proof, more flower-forward version of 2023’s release. That said, the 2024 version boasts remarkable scent composure and never risks one aspect completely outshining the others. I wouldn’t call it particularly punchy, but it is most certainly poised.
Even with the brand’s famed consistency, experiences will vary somewhat from one barrel to the next. Perhaps the bottle I sampled just danced a little lighter on the nose.
Taste
Sweet and fruity from the start, the latest Michter’s 10 Year Rye is uncommonly vibrant for its age. Pear, yellow plum, and starfruit are the first flavors I pick up, and it takes a few sips for the oak to catch up. But catch up it does, giving those bright fruits a welcome backbone, especially along the midpalate. (Though I wouldn’t have minded a bit more barrel influence from the very start.)
Wood isn’t the only flavor component to gain ground after a few tastes. The sweetness shifts from fructose to rose-infused simple syrup, those floral notes again coming through but here only after initial fruit flavors have run their course. Jasmine and now lavender are also present, pushing this the furthest into floral territory I can remember from a recent Michter’s product.
Along with that sugar comes spice, less bready than on the nose and more in line with the luxuriant, coating allspice and nutmeg I’m used to with this particular expression. Toward the very back of the palate, multiple aforementioned elements come together for a high point of balance: fruit, sugar, rose, oak, spice, and a touch of chocolate together and perceptible all at once.
On the palate, this 2024 rye is a worthy successor to the superlative 2023 release; its harmony simply comes later and doesn’t last quite as long.
Finish
A long finish follows, sweetness falling away rather quickly to leave fresh fruit and oak on the tongue and down the throat. Light roasted coffee bean also follows, showcasing a different side of the whiskey’s tannins. A little more prolonged sweetness may have elevated this final act from really good to really great. It’s easy to keep comparing this to last year’s release, but Michter’s raised its own bar with that one.
Michter's 10 Year Old Rye Rating
92/100
Recap
Surprisingly light — but with enough oak to act its age — the latest Michter’s 10 Year Rye takes the series in a slightly different direction. It’s certainly a different animal than the 2023 version, with a heavier focus on floral flavors and fresh fruit, particularly pear. The bottle I sampled never quite hit the full highs of 2023’s release (let’s just say I’ve revisited that one numerous times across multiple bottles), but it’s still hitting in the same weight class, if not at the very top end.
Of course, as with any single barrel product (even one from Michter’s), results may vary. If you happen across a bottle, I’d encourage you to open, share, and compare.
*Image retrieved from Michter’s Distillery
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