10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye (All photos: Michter's Distillery)
The story of Michter’s Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, has been anything but straightforward. The American brand traces its roots back to 1753 when it was known as Shenk’s, said to have produced rye so fine that George Washington purchased it to fortify his soldiers in the winter.
The company changed hands in 1861, coming into the possession of one Abraham Bomberger and taking his name before shutting down during the Prohibition era in the early 20th century. The current moniker Michter’s was created by Lou Forman who bought the distillery in 1934, christening it with a portmanteau of his sons’ names: Michael and Peter.
But it was not until the 1990s that its current president Joseph J Magliocco and his mentor Dick Newman elected to resurrect the brand in Kentucky, the whiskey-making capital of the US. Its main range, the US★1, was named to honour its legacy as one of the country’s first distilleries.
Today, its bottles are among the most globally respected representations of American brown spirits. Michter’s was awarded the top spot in Drinks International’s World’s Most Admired Whiskies in 2023 and 2024, making it the first company ever to place first consecutively.
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The brand introduced three very rare expressions in Malaysia in April this year, marked by a private tasting conducted by its director of international hospitality coverage and Asia-Pacific sales Ethan Chai at Bar Trigona in Kuala Lumpur. “Because Michter’s is 100% family owned, it has full control over its goal: to create the best American whiskey. The company pours all of its efforts into hiring the right people, getting the best ingredients and equipment, and making investments to achieve this,” he says.
In order to sustain its uncompromising quality, no bottle hits the market without the express approval of master distiller Dan McKee, an agreement penned by Magliocco when he took over in order to guarantee each dram’s superior quality. “In 2022, there was actually no Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon on the market, because it was not ready yet. When it was eventually released in 2023, it was one of the most highly accoladed 10-year bourbons ever,” Chai explains.
Employing what it dubs a “cost-be-damned” approach, Michter’s premium status and signature style come from the six key steps in its production method which prioritise excellence over financial caveats or sacrifices of time or yield. Although each operation is not unique to the manufacturer, it is completely unheard of for any other maker to utilise all six in crafting their whiskey.
These first two are related to any distillery’s top production cost: barrels. The company opts for white oak barrels that have been naturally seasoned for 18 to 60 months (as opposed to the industry standard of six) over the kiln-dried variety, which contributes to reduced tannins as bacteria consume the wood’s astringent compounds.These barrels are toasted for several hours with a small flame in addition to the legally required char to caramelise the materials’ natural sugars and expand the capillaries, allowing the liquid to penetrate the barrel more deeply and attain an even more profound flavour.
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White whiskey goes into the cask at a uniquely low 51.5% ABV as the hotter Kentucky climate leads to a higher cask strength and reduces the water needed to reach the bottling ABV, meaning a purer product and smoother barrel strength dram. The city’s already vast day-night and seasonal temperature variations are supplemented by heat cycling in colder times to maximise the expansion and contraction of the barrels, promoting the saturation of fluid into wood and gaining six months per year aged — but at double the average angel’s share (volume evaporated per year), close to 5%. Michter’s also prides itself on being either single barrel or truly small batch (no more than 20 barrels), guaranteeing the most rigorous standards and utmost discipline from its team.
All these techniques and specifications effectively intensify the richness of each expression, enabling it to undergo the cold filtration process at minimal cost to flavour. Tailored filter mediums are used for each whiskey to highlight its subtle attributes and create a superior product of exceptional clarity even when water or ice is added.
The distillery’s flagship product is a quintessential American whiskey from its US★1 core four — the Kentucky Straight Bourbon — the perfect embodiment of Michter’s iconic full body and high viscosity mouthfeel. This tipple is packed with luscious, chocolatey caramel notes gently touched with burnt smoke and an oaky vanilla perfume. “When you talk about American whiskey, what comes to mind straight away is bourbon. Portfolio-wise, this is our most globally popular product,” says Chai.
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While bourbon now stands as the US’ most defining spirit, it was rye that dominated the pre-Prohibition scene — evinced by the many classic American cocktails that use this dry and spicy liquor as their base. Michter’s Kentucky Straight Rye represents a more balanced expression than others on the market, still leading with pepper and butterscotch but enlivened with a touch of citrus. (Tip: While the latter is delicious in Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, the former makes a stellar whiskey sour.)
If neither end of the spectrum strikes your fancy, the blended Sour Mash captures the best of both grains. This highly sippable amber fluid, which was at the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, boasts a hearty, fresh sweetness on the nose, resembling sticky burnt sugar, candied red fruit and honey on the palate before finishing with warm spice. Those not quite acclimated to the water of life, though, might find an easier first brush in the brand’s Unblended American Whiskey — a rather vague title simply meaning it has not been cut with any grain neutral spirits like vodka. The use of a whiskey-soaked barrel, as opposed to a new one, yields a much lighter bodied expression at only 41.7% ABV, channelling the flavours of oatmeal raisin cookies and blonde chocolate.
Also shown at the tasting was the highly sought-after 10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye, part of its limited production series which only graces the market once every several years as glistening golden emblems of the maker’s unfaltering craftsmanship and the capital’s prime climate. This dram exudes remarkable depth — the essence of toffee is shrouded in almond-like nuttiness, sweet orange citrus, cinnamon and cracked black pepper.
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On top of these essential offerings, the brand has also unveiled two items from its Legacy series in Malaysia, named after the distillery’s historic identities. The first, the Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2023, is extraordinarily complex and vibrant, presenting on the nose as ripe, dark fruit and maple syrup, with a delectably jammy palate profile bolstered by chocolate and spice, followed by a long oaky denouement. Meanwhile, Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey 2023 has been partly aged in toasted French oak barrels to imbue a more spice-oriented personality, summoning flavours of stewed fruit and vanilla nougat.
Joining the local line-up is the Toasted Barrel Finish Rye, which provokes an elegant aroma of caramel custard, dark chocolate and a woodiness bordering on vintage books. The tasting experience is impressively bold and refined — caramelised walnuts and stone fruit rounded out by sweet oak. Michter’s launched the world’s first toasted whiskey back in 2014, placing age-ready liquids in a toasted (but not charred) barrel to achieve an extra burnished richness and silky texture. At 54.6% ABV, it is on the tamer end compared with other cask strength varieties, but make no mistake — this is a decadent, authoritative pour, and was easily our favourite of the session.
Purchase a bottle here.
This article first appeared on June 23, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
