Michter's Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey 55% 700ml

This is rye whiskey turned all the way up — unfiltered, uncut, and carrying the power of a plot twist you didn’t see coming. In the glass, it’s fire-toned: a rich, burnished amber that hints at the heat to come. The nose is a bold symphony — peppermint bark, cinnamon oil, toasted hazelnuts, saddle leather, and a strange, alluring note of dark fruit compote stirred with a charred stick.

At first sip, it's a rush. The alcohol hits like a car chase in chapter one — fast, hot, visceral. But then the complexity comes in — a rolling storm of molasses, salted caramel, roasted chestnuts, green herbs, and cracked rye grain. The texture is dense, coating, like liquid spice cake soaked in old-fashioned bitters. There’s a wildness here, but it’s an orchestrated chaos.

As it opens, the flavours deepen — dark cherry, cigar wrapper, burnt orange rind, and flashes of chocolate-covered espresso beans. There’s a bold herbal edge too: dill, thyme, crushed mint. It dances between savory and sweet, never fully choosing a side. Water brings clarity, revealing layers of vanilla custard, clove oil, and a nostalgic flash of root beer barrel candy.

The finish is volcanic. Long, warm, with waves of spice returning again and again. Think cayenne and cocoa, dry oak, and licorice root — lingering like a plot that won’t let you go to sleep. This is not a casual sip. It’s a whiskey that demands your attention and then rewards it with fireworks. For lovers of intensity, narrative, and old-school craftsmanship, this rye is a bottle full of grit and poetry.

Tasting Profile