Michter's Sour Mash Whisky - Tasty, Tasty Mystery Meat

 

So far, this whiskey wins the title for most meaningless name.

Normally, you can glean a little something from the name of the whiskey. In the US, a straight bourbon whiskey has to be at least 51% corn in the mash recipe - usually closer to 70% corn. A straight rye, likewise, must have a grain bill of least 51% rye, although it can run as high as 95% rye. And a wheated bourbon can be assumed to have wheat in it's grain bill.

A pure malt whiskey will be made from nothing but malted barley, even if the whisky is made by blending the outputs of several distilleries. And a single malt scotch will be the all malted barley product of a single distillery.

However, sour mash refers the process of conditioning or starting the mash with leftover mash from the previous batch. This helps create better fermentation and batch-to-batch consistency. The mash is the collection of hot water and ground grains, some malted, that you add yeast to produce the low wine that gets distilled into whiskey.

The grain bill and the yeast and other microorganisms in the mash combine to produce part of the flavor of the final whiskey. Using the sour mash method helps inhibit the growth of unwanted bacteria whose by-products might produce unwanted flavors in the low wine, and the resulting whiskey.

Almost all bourbon in the US is mashed using the sour mash method, and there doesn't seem to be a distinct flavor profile associated with the method. So using sour mash as the focus of the title is equivalent to saying: American Quality Control Process Produced Whiskey.

Not particularly helpful to the curious whiskey drinker. Especially since Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey is new to the market. Their website claims that it is the resurrection of the deceased whiskey of the same name that went absent from the market for more than two decades after  the previous iteration of Michter's went bankrupt.  There is no way to tell how close the two namesake whiskies are.

In fact, what the label doesn't say is more instructive than what it does. It doesn't claim to be bourbon, so one can safely assume the grain bill is less than 51% corn. It also doesn't claim to be a rye whiskey, so I feel safe in assuming that it's less than 51% rye. And it's not pure malt, so it's made from things other than barley. There's no age statement, but according to the Michter's site, it's aged in new, fire charred, American Oak barrels.

So what's in it? Nobody outside the company really knows, but the consensus of other reviewers seems to be an almost equal mix of corn and rye, with maybe some barely in the mix. That squares with what I'm tasting - a whiskey nicely balanced between rye and bourbon.

In the glass, this has a nice dark gold color. The aroma (nose) is sweet, with hints of honey.

On the tongue, the whiskey is fees lighter than the color suggests. It starts sweetish - the corn, and then smoothly transitions to a pleasant gingery spiciness - the rye, and perhaps the oak. It has a short finish - it does not linger around long.

The light mouthfeel and short finish actually work quite well here. This a very pleasant sipping whiskey with enough complexity to make it interesting. It's a great mingling drink for parties - it's got good flavor, but the short finish ensures you wont miss your conversational openings  because your taste buds are endlessly living that last sip.

Your mouth will, however, demand another sip pretty soon. Which is perfect, because it's good manners to shut up and let others have their say, so as to avoid monopolizing the conversation. You'll be able to offer another brief nugget of wisdom and hilarity soon enough.

Maybe after just one more sip...

Michter's Sour Mash is bottled at 86 proof (43% abv), which means it's been cut down from cask strength. A little water, a splash will do and no more, can open up the flavors a little, but it drinks perfectly well straight.

Michter's Sour Mash will set you back around $40 - $45 a bottle in the US, depending up your locale. If you like bourbon or rye, it's definitely worth trying.

Personally, I'm glad I took a chance on the bottle. I'm not sure yet if it has a permanent home on my bar, though, because in that price range, I have other whiskies that I like more. Still, it seems to be growing on me.

 

A final note, just because it is interesting. Michter's website and bottle talk about the brand's proud Pennsylvania heritage. However, the current owners of the brand are just now finishing their distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Ever since the brand was purchased from bankruptcy and recreated, it's products have been distilled under contract elsewhere - usually by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, according to Wikipedia.