Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Has Arrived Just in Time for Fall

Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye. Courtesy Photo.

Michter’s Distillery has announced the limited release of their Toasted Barrel Finish Rye Whiskey, and it’s hitting shelves right now.

“The reception that our Toasted Barrel Finish whiskeys have received is a result of tremendously focused work done by our production team led by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. Despite the continuing shortages across all our whiskey stocks, we really wanted to make some of our rye available for this special release,” said Joseph J. Magliocco, Michter’s President.

Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye begins with perfectly aged Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye at barrel strength, which is then aged further in a second custom toasted barrel made to the specifications set by Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. It is then bottled at barrel strength, averaging 109.2 proof for the 2020 release. First released in 2017, this rare rye hasn’t been seen on shelves in years.

“For this 2020 release, we selected rye barrels aged to peak quality and then dumped each barrel, with the contents of each single barrel being put in a second single barrel assembled from 24 month naturally seasoned and air dried wood,” says Wilson. “The second barrel was custom toasted to extract characters to create a rich and decadent rye whiskey experience.”

Tasting notes from the distillery describe “enhanced spice notes with delicate chocolate overtones balanced by some vanilla and honey, hints of roasted nuts and dates, with a lingering finish of burnt brown sugar reminiscent of créme brûlée complemented by some smokey campfire highlights.”

Find Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Rye now for a suggested retail price of around $85.

Caroline Paulus
Caroline Paulus is the Senior Editor for The Bourbon Review. She lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky. Follow her on Instagram @misswhiskeyhistorian to keep up with her latest in bourbon news - and a few old finds, too.