Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 91
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 54.7%
Availability Limited
Price $120.00 
Reviewed By
Review Updated 2023-11-28

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023) Review

Michter’s is back with its annual toasted barrel finish series, and 2023 marks the fifth time the brand’s selected rye whiskey as the base expression. The line first hit the market with a bourbon in 2014, and Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye was previously released in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.

According to the brand, this whiskey started as “fully matured barrels” of US*1 Rye. It was then finished — for an undisclosed period of time — in a second barrel “made of special wood naturally air-dried and seasoned outdoors for 24 months and toasted to [Michter’s] specifications.” It’s worth noting this finishing barrel was not charred after the toasting process. Nor does Michter’s disclose the actual wood the finishing barrels are made from.

Rather than batch the release, Michter’s released these at individual barrel strength, meaning there’s proof (and likely some flavor) variation among bottles. The bottle we sampled for this review was 109.4 proof, a bit higher than the average of 108.9 across the release.

Michter’s has confirmed all the distillate in this release comes from the brand's Shively Distillery; the mashbill is undisclosed.

This is one release where there will certainly be some variation from one barrel to the next. Keeping that in mind, let’s dive in and see how this latest toasted barrel rye expression stacks up!

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023) Review

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye: Stats and Availability

I’ll cut to the chase: Many limited release Michter’s products command a premium, and it’s not uncommon to see them on shelves above retail. The 2023 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye has a suggested retail price of $120. Michter’s hasn’t released any specifics on bottle count for this release.

I’ve seen previous years’ releases go for as much as double that on some shelves, though those particular bottles weren’t exactly flying out the door. Among whiskey aficionados, a lot depends on word of mouth reviews for specific releases, as flavor varies so much from year to year.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish 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 introduces itself with a one-two punch of black cherry and walnut extract, making the first sniff a bit like a rich, nut-filled fruit cobbler. The fruit continues on a return to the glass, transitioning gradually to a litany of sweet notes: brown sugar, honey, and molasses.

There’s also toffee AND taffy, the latter pairing sweetness with some ocean breeze salinity. On a few returns to the glass, more herbal and grassy notes come into focus, with a bit of both cut grass and dried hay.

The Michter’s toasted series tends to pick up a good amount of sweetness, likely from wood sugars in the toasted finishing barrel. On the nose, this 2023 rye exemplifies that particular quality. At 109.4 proof, it doesn’t have quite as much spice as I’d normally expect in a barrel strength rye, but there are some lingering notes there; the wood-influenced sweetness simply overpowers them.

Taste

Toasted honey hits first, along with pecans, semi-sweet chocolate, and oats; it’s slightly reminiscent of a Derby Pie. Then comes blackstrap molasses, which takes over the midpalate and fades in a sugary hurry. These early tastes are all browned/toasted sweetness (some edging up to the border of burnt without crossing over).

The mouth feel is of medium viscosity. I had to return to the glass a couple times to suss out the fruit I sensed on the nose. Cherry makes an appearance toward the back of the palate (surprisingly) but then gets muscled out a bit by oak, which almost (but not fully!) monopolizes the taste after the molasses note fades.

Compared to how it smelled, there’s certainly more spice here — apple pie spice, really — which does hold its own against the woody notes. After recognizing those two, subsequent sips hold much more balance across the palate.

Finish

There’s a significant ethanol hug on the way down, and unlike some previous releases in the Michter’s toasted line, this is drinking above-proof on the finish. It’s drying and oaky, reminiscent of brown sugar and honey without tasting like it, along with lingering cinnamon chewing gum and lots of black pepper.

It’s one of the more interesting, “sip-so-I-can-learn-more” finishes from the Michter’s toasted barrel series. I can’t help but think the drying spice on the finish would make this an excellent rye whiskey to pair with dessert.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Score

91/100

Recap

The 2023 version of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye carries some striking, wood-powered notes, particularly when it comes to the sweet end of rye’s flavor spectrum. It’s non-age-stated but plenty oaky, and for drinkers who love wood influence, this pour will deliver that in spades.

However, while Michter’s normally has a deft hand at finishing times, I worry the toasted barrel may have had too much influence to make this the same kind of crowd pleaser as some of the brand’s previous limited-release ryes. It’s certainly an enjoyable pour that I’d have a hard time turning down under most circumstances.

Michter’s has set a high bar for itself, and for the most discerning fans, this particular finished rye might just barely clear it.

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91
POINTS
Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023)
Michter’s is back with its annual toasted barrel finish series, and 2023 marks the fifth time the brand’s selected rye whiskey as the base expression. The line first hit the market with a bourbon in 2014, and Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye was previously released in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. According to the brand, this whiskey started as “fully matured barrels” of US*1 Rye. It was then finished — for an undisclosed period of time — in a second barrel “made of special wood naturally air-dried and seasoned outdoors for 24 months and toasted to [Michter’s] specifications.” It’s worth noting this finishing barrel was not charred after the toasting process. Nor does Michter’s disclose the actual wood the finishing barrels are made from. Rather than batch the release, Michter’s released these at individual barrel strength, meaning there’s proof (and likely some flavor) variation among bottles. The bottle we sampled for this review was 109.4 proof, a bit higher than the average of 108.9 across the release. Michter’s has confirmed all the distillate in this release comes from the brand's Shively Distillery; the mashbill is undisclosed. This is one release where there will certainly be some variation from one barrel to the next. Keeping that in mind, let’s dive in and see how this latest toasted barrel rye expression stacks up! Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023) Review

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye: Stats and Availability

I’ll cut to the chase: Many limited release Michter’s products command a premium, and it’s not uncommon to see them on shelves above retail. The 2023 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye has a suggested retail price of $120. Michter’s hasn’t released any specifics on bottle count for this release. I’ve seen previous years’ releases go for as much as double that on some shelves, though those particular bottles weren’t exactly flying out the door. Among whiskey aficionados, a lot depends on word of mouth reviews for specific releases, as flavor varies so much from year to year.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish 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 introduces itself with a one-two punch of black cherry and walnut extract, making the first sniff a bit like a rich, nut-filled fruit cobbler. The fruit continues on a return to the glass, transitioning gradually to a litany of sweet notes: brown sugar, honey, and molasses. There’s also toffee AND taffy, the latter pairing sweetness with some ocean breeze salinity. On a few returns to the glass, more herbal and grassy notes come into focus, with a bit of both cut grass and dried hay. The Michter’s toasted series tends to pick up a good amount of sweetness, likely from wood sugars in the toasted finishing barrel. On the nose, this 2023 rye exemplifies that particular quality. At 109.4 proof, it doesn’t have quite as much spice as I’d normally expect in a barrel strength rye, but there are some lingering notes there; the wood-influenced sweetness simply overpowers them.

Taste

Toasted honey hits first, along with pecans, semi-sweet chocolate, and oats; it’s slightly reminiscent of a Derby Pie. Then comes blackstrap molasses, which takes over the midpalate and fades in a sugary hurry. These early tastes are all browned/toasted sweetness (some edging up to the border of burnt without crossing over). The mouth feel is of medium viscosity. I had to return to the glass a couple times to suss out the fruit I sensed on the nose. Cherry makes an appearance toward the back of the palate (surprisingly) but then gets muscled out a bit by oak, which almost (but not fully!) monopolizes the taste after the molasses note fades. Compared to how it smelled, there’s certainly more spice here — apple pie spice, really — which does hold its own against the woody notes. After recognizing those two, subsequent sips hold much more balance across the palate.

Finish

There’s a significant ethanol hug on the way down, and unlike some previous releases in the Michter’s toasted line, this is drinking above-proof on the finish. It’s drying and oaky, reminiscent of brown sugar and honey without tasting like it, along with lingering cinnamon chewing gum and lots of black pepper. It’s one of the more interesting, “sip-so-I-can-learn-more” finishes from the Michter’s toasted barrel series. I can’t help but think the drying spice on the finish would make this an excellent rye whiskey to pair with dessert.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Score

91/100

Recap

The 2023 version of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye carries some striking, wood-powered notes, particularly when it comes to the sweet end of rye’s flavor spectrum. It’s non-age-stated but plenty oaky, and for drinkers who love wood influence, this pour will deliver that in spades. However, while Michter’s normally has a deft hand at finishing times, I worry the toasted barrel may have had too much influence to make this the same kind of crowd pleaser as some of the brand’s previous limited-release ryes. It’s certainly an enjoyable pour that I’d have a hard time turning down under most circumstances. Michter’s has set a high bar for itself, and for the most discerning fans, this particular finished rye might just barely clear it.

Reviewed On: 10-26-2023
91
POINTS
Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023)
Michter’s is back with its annual toasted barrel finish series, and 2023 marks the fifth time the brand’s selected rye whiskey as the base expression. The line first hit the market with a bourbon in 2014, and Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye was previously released in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. According to the brand, this whiskey started as “fully matured barrels” of US*1 Rye. It was then finished — for an undisclosed period of time — in a second barrel “made of special wood naturally air-dried and seasoned outdoors for 24 months and toasted to [Michter’s] specifications.” It’s worth noting this finishing barrel was not charred after the toasting process. Nor does Michter’s disclose the actual wood the finishing barrels are made from. Rather than batch the release, Michter’s released these at individual barrel strength, meaning there’s proof (and likely some flavor) variation among bottles. The bottle we sampled for this review was 109.4 proof, a bit higher than the average of 108.9 across the release. Michter’s has confirmed all the distillate in this release comes from the brand's Shively Distillery; the mashbill is undisclosed. This is one release where there will certainly be some variation from one barrel to the next. Keeping that in mind, let’s dive in and see how this latest toasted barrel rye expression stacks up! Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2023) Review

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye: Stats and Availability

I’ll cut to the chase: Many limited release Michter’s products command a premium, and it’s not uncommon to see them on shelves above retail. The 2023 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye has a suggested retail price of $120. Michter’s hasn’t released any specifics on bottle count for this release. I’ve seen previous years’ releases go for as much as double that on some shelves, though those particular bottles weren’t exactly flying out the door. Among whiskey aficionados, a lot depends on word of mouth reviews for specific releases, as flavor varies so much from year to year.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish 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 introduces itself with a one-two punch of black cherry and walnut extract, making the first sniff a bit like a rich, nut-filled fruit cobbler. The fruit continues on a return to the glass, transitioning gradually to a litany of sweet notes: brown sugar, honey, and molasses. There’s also toffee AND taffy, the latter pairing sweetness with some ocean breeze salinity. On a few returns to the glass, more herbal and grassy notes come into focus, with a bit of both cut grass and dried hay. The Michter’s toasted series tends to pick up a good amount of sweetness, likely from wood sugars in the toasted finishing barrel. On the nose, this 2023 rye exemplifies that particular quality. At 109.4 proof, it doesn’t have quite as much spice as I’d normally expect in a barrel strength rye, but there are some lingering notes there; the wood-influenced sweetness simply overpowers them.

Taste

Toasted honey hits first, along with pecans, semi-sweet chocolate, and oats; it’s slightly reminiscent of a Derby Pie. Then comes blackstrap molasses, which takes over the midpalate and fades in a sugary hurry. These early tastes are all browned/toasted sweetness (some edging up to the border of burnt without crossing over). The mouth feel is of medium viscosity. I had to return to the glass a couple times to suss out the fruit I sensed on the nose. Cherry makes an appearance toward the back of the palate (surprisingly) but then gets muscled out a bit by oak, which almost (but not fully!) monopolizes the taste after the molasses note fades. Compared to how it smelled, there’s certainly more spice here — apple pie spice, really — which does hold its own against the woody notes. After recognizing those two, subsequent sips hold much more balance across the palate.

Finish

There’s a significant ethanol hug on the way down, and unlike some previous releases in the Michter’s toasted line, this is drinking above-proof on the finish. It’s drying and oaky, reminiscent of brown sugar and honey without tasting like it, along with lingering cinnamon chewing gum and lots of black pepper. It’s one of the more interesting, “sip-so-I-can-learn-more” finishes from the Michter’s toasted barrel series. I can’t help but think the drying spice on the finish would make this an excellent rye whiskey to pair with dessert.

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Score

91/100

Recap

The 2023 version of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye carries some striking, wood-powered notes, particularly when it comes to the sweet end of rye’s flavor spectrum. It’s non-age-stated but plenty oaky, and for drinkers who love wood influence, this pour will deliver that in spades. However, while Michter’s normally has a deft hand at finishing times, I worry the toasted barrel may have had too much influence to make this the same kind of crowd pleaser as some of the brand’s previous limited-release ryes. It’s certainly an enjoyable pour that I’d have a hard time turning down under most circumstances. Michter’s has set a high bar for itself, and for the most discerning fans, this particular finished rye might just barely clear it.

Reviewed On: 10-26-2023