2016 Michter's 10 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml

The 2016 Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is bottled at 92.8 proof (46.4% ABV) and is distilled and bottled in Kentucky by Michter's. A single-barrel, extremely limited release drawn from stocks more than ten years old, the 2016 edition was approved for a March 2016 release by Master Distiller Willie "Dr. No" Pratt — the first bottling of Michter's 10 Year Rye since 2014.

The whiskey had been scheduled for a 2015 release, but Pratt held it back for further maturation, true to the "Dr. No" reputation that earned him his nickname: he refused to approve a barrel until it reached its full potential. Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Rye continues the legacy of rye as America's first whiskey variety, made by a company that traces its roots to 1753 and the original Shenk's distillery, on a Kentucky-style majority-rye mashbill with more corn and malted barley than many ryes. Each cask is selected and bottled individually at the brand's traditional 92.8 proof, so every release reflects the character of one specific barrel.

Often aged well beyond its ten-year statement, the 10 Year Rye is one of Michter's most limited and most sought-after expressions, frequently the hardest of the distillery's age-stated whiskeys to find. As a single-barrel bottling, no two barrels are exactly alike, and this older vintage has grown especially difficult to track down. The official profile runs to deep vanilla and toffee, toasted almonds and cinnamon, an ample dose of crushed pepper, and a hint of orange citrus. Michter's revived its 10 Year Rye in April 2014 after a nearly three-year absence, making the 2016 just the second release of the modern era and a cornerstone for collectors building a vertical. For many enthusiasts it marked the welcome return of one of Kentucky's benchmark age-stated ryes after a two-year absence.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 92.8 Proof (46.4% ABV)
• Age: 10 Years (minimum; often aged older)
• Origin: Kentucky, USA (distilled and bottled in Kentucky)
• Distillery: Michter's Distillery (Louisville, KY)
• Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Bottling: Single barrel, limited quantity
• Cooperage: New, fire-charred American white oak
• Tasting Notes: Vanilla and toffee, toasted almonds, cinnamon, crushed pepper, orange citrus