Michter's US*1 Small Batch Sour Mash

Did you know that the Michter's Distillery actually existed at one point? It was founded in 1753 by John Shenk and was one of America’s oldest (and smallest) commercial distilleries. A.H. Hirsch was one of the brands they produced. It was closed from 1919 until 1933 and again from 1951 until 1976. It closed definitely in 1989. Now Michter’s is produced by the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Next to the Small Batch Bourbon, they also have this Small Batch Sour Mash. Sour mash is a procedure in which a part of the previous batch mash is added to the next to start up the mashing process. It is actually a very common practice in the whole bourbon industry, so I am not sure why they would call it that. It probably has to do with the fact that the (not released) mash bill differs. There is no mention of the word bourbon on the label, so maybe it does not even contain the required 51% corn? Enough hypotheses, time to taste!

The nose is honeysweet from the get-go, but wonderfully fruity. I get toffee apples with vanilla. Loads of caramel and soft spices. Dark berries and even some cherries kick in.

It is very spicy on the palate, but in my humble opinion a little more body would not have hurt. The whiskey is a lot less sweet than the nose made you expect and thus holds the middle between a bourbon and rye whiskey. Again apples and cherries until suddenly the wood starts to speak.

The finish is medium long and reminds me of popcorn. It turns very soft at the death.

It has less body than the syrupy bourbon from Michter’s, but the taste and the finish are better.